What is man? (Christmas homily)

 What is man? What are we? What am I?

That may seem an airy question, but when you think about it, 

isn’t this at the heart of most of our wrestling?

We have political debates. Aren’t the laws and policies we consider statements 

about what sort of people you and I think we are? 

And want to be? 

There are challenges of technology that are no longer distant.

We already have cars and trucks that drive themselves.

How long before there are not just a few thousand, but millions?

Here comes Artificial Intelligence, which did not write this homily, 

and is not delivering it!

But I’ve started asking AI to do some of the research.

AI has already had a huge impact in 2025. Where will we be in 2030?

Meanwhile, there are diverging trends in spirituality:

a surge of people who call themselves “spiritual but not religious.”

That contributes to a decline in regular Mass attendance, 

baptisms, confirmations and Catholic weddings over time.

Our society is, in general, becoming more secular.

There is, however, some evidence of a smaller countertrend:

Some younger generations are seeking out the path of faith.

And younger Catholics are frequently more “traditional” 

than older Catholics.

It all comes back to the question I posed: who are we? 

Are we even a speck in a Cosmos that overawes us?

There are different answers to that question.

Islam says that our hope is an eternity of pleasurable proximity to God, 

yet who always remains entirely other.

Hinduism has varied, hopeful images, not much certainty.

Buddhism doesn’t believe in a personal God 

who creates or who can really be known. 

The Hebrew Scriptures uniquely tell us:

You and I are made in the image of God.

Judaism remains hopeful, still awaiting the Messiah.

And that brings us to the shocking uniqueness of this day.

Christ is born! 

God who is utterly beyond our grasp, 

leapt down from his throne, into the womb of Mary, 

and today was laid in her lap.

If it is true that Mary said “yes” to Gabriel in March – this is our Faith! – 

then it is true God and true man 

who gazes up at Mary now, from her arms!

God beholds her and she beholds God.

And when paupers and princes approach, she invites us to adore!

What is man? What are we?

God creates each and every human being 

with a destiny touching infinity.

And even more wondrous, 

God chose to make himself a brother to each of us.

During the four weeks of Advent, the other priests and I 

were addressing some big questions in our homilies:

Why Creation? What is this all about?

What went wrong? Why is there evil?

What is God doing about it all? Is there hope?

God’s Response – God’s First and Last Word – is Jesus!

Before God created and we rebelled, God knew he would come.

And this is the really astounding thing.

God, in becoming one of us, is not content 

Merely to put things back as they were.

You and I do not, as it were, return to the Garden.

Oh, and by the way, here’s where the Christmas Tree fits in.

Most people don’t realize that the Christmas Tree is a Biblical image.

It recalls both the Tree of Good and Bad that brought death, 

and also the Tree of Life.

The first Christmas Trees, in Germany centuries ago,

were decorated with apples and discs of bread.

The apple is easy enough to figure out. But why bread?

To represent the Holy Eucharist!

Jesus is the new Adam who faces the Tree of Death – the Cross.

And Jesus is that Bread that gives Eternal life!

Sometimes how we approach Christmas seems gaudy and over-the-top, 

but here is where it makes theological sense:

All the gold and glitter remind us 

that because God has entered time and become one of us,

This world isn’t merely dirt at his feet.

All Creation, and we especially, are being transformed.

As we profess: a new heavens and a new earth.

Whatever is perilous or discouraging around us, 

it is a fact that 

“For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,

and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,

and became man.”

On Christmas, you and I genuflect at these words in the Creed,

to pause to be astonished!

What is humanity? You are destined for the greatest possible grace.

Christmas is both the boldest promise and also a blunt invitation.

Nothing is forced on you and me. We choose.

Realize what Christmas offers you. 

In the shocking words of so many saints:

“God became man that men might become God.”

Response: Get on the Bus! (Advent Homily)

Image borrowed from Party Shuttle Florida

As you may recall, the other priests and I have connected 

our Advent homilies to Father John Riccardo’s book, Rescued. 

Four weeks of Advent, and four questions, and four answers.

We started with God’s glorious Creation. Why did he do it?

Answer: to create a world for us, in which we can respond to his love. To become his partners.

What went wrong? This beautiful world was captured by evil.

Our free choices went wrong and with it, the world.

Then last week, the question was, what did God do to rescue us?

Answer: He came into this world as a human being, 

embracing everything we face, even death, death on a Cross.

Now we come to the most personal question: 

What is my response to this Creation, to the crisis of our world, 

and above all, to God’s bottomless love?

Let’s start with Ahaz, because his response may be confusing.

Ahaz seems holy: he says, I won’t test God!

But God invited Ahaz to do exactly that: to propose a sign.

God was summoning Ahaz’s faith to life. 

Remember how Jesus summoned Peter out of the boat, onto the water?

Peter stepped out, but Ahaz refused to. 

Lots of people hear the Word of God at Mass, 

and they witness the Word of God acting through the Mass, 

making Calvary present.

When you really think about it, everything is here for you,

At this, and every Mass!

But so many react like Ahaz. 

No, not unless it’s a different priest from the one here, today.

No, not unless there’s different music, I don’t like these songs!

No, not unless certain people stop sitting near me!

Jesus is here for you at every single Mass; 

he invites you to respond to him.

And some have the audacity to say, “I didn’t get anything out of Mass.”

Now, let’s consider St. Paul’s response, in his letter to the Romans.

When he describes himself as “called to be an Apostle,” 

He is also mindful that he is the “least” – 

because he persecuted Jesus’ Church before his conversion. 

Paul did not let his sins or sense of unworthiness hold him back.

And he is a powerful sign 

of something we miss about what Jesus came to do.

Jesus’ forgiveness and reconciliation is

deeper and more complex than we may at first realize.

And that is something we can see in Paul’s own life.

Forgiveness and reconciliation is not merely, “nevermind.”

A lot of people wrestle with forgiveness precisely because 

just saying, “nevermind,” doesn’t seem to address the reality.

Sins, wrongs and crimes do real damage!

This whole world has been scarred by evil; those scars are deep.

Take note that when Jesus rose from the dead, 

he still bore his own scars!

Resurrection and restoration don’t mean the wrongs never happened.

God’s way of restoration and healing is different.

Somehow – and only God’s grace can do this – we bear our scars, 

but like Jesus’ own wounds, they become about life, not death.

Consider how many people become life to others, 

precisely in how they share their own wounds, 

and by sharing, they themselves are healed.

St. Paul wouldn’t have been St. Paul without his twisty journey, 

and the same is true for you and each of us.

Let’s also learn from the response of St. Joseph.

His actions are often misunderstood, including, for a while, by me!

When it says, he was going to “divorce her quietly,”

That still sounds harsh.

But, in Joseph’s time, there was a betrothal before marriage; 

something like what we call engagement, only more formalized.

That’s the stage he and Mary were in when these things happened.

So, instead of “divorce,” try, “withdraw from the engagement.”

Still, we wonder, why would Joseph withdraw?

It is not because he thinks Mary did wrong.

Joseph did not think he was better or holier than Mary –

Quite the opposite! He knew Mary’s immaculate character.

Joseph was prepared to withdraw out of humility.

But the most important thing Joseph did was to listen.

The angel brought God’s invitation to Joseph, 

and Joseph “did as the Lord commanded.”

Forgive me for repeating myself, but: Advent is about Eternity.

You and I are not merely preparing for a big party later this week,

But for eternal life, which will be far better than any party!

Jesus invites each of us to that eternal life.

Our Catholic Faith – the habits of prayer and confession 

and the sacraments and good works and ongoing conversion –

is the “transportation,” if you will, that gets us there.

That’s the invitation. What’s your response?

One more question: 

if you were invited to get on the greatest Party Bus in history, 

and you knew there were plenty of seats, 

would you really keep this to yourself?

Act III of Salvation's Drama (Sunday homily)

 As you know, the other priests and I have invited you along 

on a four-week exploration of God’s plan of salvation,

working with Father John Riccardo’s book, Rescued. 

To review, we started with God’s loving act of Creation.

Because God wanted humanity to be partners in love, 

not merely robots, he gave us freedom,

which we misused, and that brought the crisis of sin and death.

In Father Riccardo’s words, that is when Creation was “Captured.”

Now we come to Act III: The Crisis deepens and the Rescue begins.

And the question for this week is, 

With the devil having captured this world, where is God in all this?

As you’ve heard, the readings for the past two Sundays 

have looked forward, not to Jesus’ birth, specifically, 

but to the eternal kingdom his birth heralds.

Advent is about Eternity, and Christmas 

is the great down-payment toward that Eternity.

But we don’t skip over what comes in-between.

On the way to his throne, the King will go 

from hearing “Hosannas” to hearing, “Crucify him!”

Jesus didn’t come just for a coronation, but for a battle.

John the Baptist’s arrest and death foreshadow this.

We might wonder, why did John send his followers to Jesus to ask:

Are you the one? 

John wanted those disciples to meet Jesus, 

and to hear his answer for themselves.

And since John was facing his own death, 

he was seeking the encouragement we all need.

So, what does God do in the face of evil and corruption?

He shows up as one of us.

Here’s an astonishing truth of our Faith.

God was and remains entirely free – he has all the options.

He can fix this world with a snap of his fingers, as it were.

So, why not?

For the same reason he didn’t make a Creation 

that couldn’t be wrecked.

God didn’t create us to be cogs in a perfect machine.

He created us to be partners in a Cosmic Drama, a work of art, 

that is still being completed.

Yes: we’re a big part of the problem.

And God chooses to make us a big part of the solution.

Notice in Jesus’ answer to John’s disciples, 

Every sign of God in action is about healing human beings.

People who can’t walk, can’t see, who are alienated and oppressed.

People who are given up for dead but God wants to bring to life.

Now: there’s a detail here that isn’t obvious.

Obviously, only God can really do all these things.

And yet: these are things Jesus says – to the Apostles – 

that they will do. He didn’t say it in today’s Gospel, but he’ll say it later.

And that mission continues in those of us who are little apostles.

Each of us is sent to bring the Good News.

That’s not just a feel-good statement; it’s a great responsibility.

So, the natural question is, how?

Ultimately, the liberation we’re talking about 

can only be God at work through human action and human cooperation.

You know what I just described there? That’s what a sacrament is!

And it is what the Church is; what we are called to!

God at work through human action and cooperation.

You bring an offering of bread and wine to the altar.

The priest takes it up in his hands,

But only Christ can make his saving death on the Cross present here!

Then, back to the human level: Jesus invites each of us to take part.

The Mass is all-powerful whether anyone shows up or not;

Yet Jesus wants you here to be united to his offering.

And he sends us to draw others by the sign of his power at work in us.

Jesus didn’t need anyone to help with the Cross. 

And yet what he say? Sit back and watch?

No: he said, take up your Cross and follow me.

In other words, God’s Rescue, God’s Remedy, was all his own idea;

And it is all his generosity and power.

And yet, remarkably, he chooses to bring you and me into his work.

There is a deep mystery involved 

in God choosing the Cross as the means of salvation.

Humanity already faced the Cross; that is, death.

God was not content to give us reassuring words.

He came and faced it with us. 

Because of Jesus, Christians have the power to be unafraid.

And that itself transforms death.

Let’s circle back to John the Baptist and what Jesus says about him.

He is the last of the prophets: that’s why there’s “none greater.”

And yet, because Jesus is about to initiate the program of rescue,

John who is so great, will be exceeded by the reality that he heralds!

When Jesus calls John “least,” he’s not diminishing John;

He’s telling you and me about the great glory in store for us!

The Glory that we will both become – and bring.

Are you a zombie? (2nd Advent Sunday homily)

 

Image borrowed from Christianity Today

There’s a detail in the first reading 

that goes by so quickly, it’s easy to miss. 

It refers to a sprout from the “stump of Jesse.” 

In other words, there was a tree; and it was destroyed, 

And it’s just a stump. What happened?

It’s the same story as Creation; the same story of my life and yours.

From the point of view of natural physics, 

it’s called the Law of Entropy: things go wrong.

Last week, we began Advent 

by looking at four important “why” questions, 

working from the book Rescued by Fr. John Riccardo.

The first question was, Why Creation; why are we here? 

Answer: because God created you and me for an eternal relationship.

And yet: something went very wrong. That’s this week’s question: Why?

And, this week’s answer follows from last week’s: 

The reason something went wrong is because  

God didn’t want Creation to be simply a well-oiled machine.

He chose to create beings capable of love, 

and of being raised to Divine Life; and that meant freedom;

and that meant something could go wrong.

God created Cherubim and Seraphim, angels; and us. 

What went wrong? Some of the angels chose against God.

And they “infected” humanity with the “virus” of evil.

Now, a skeptical person might dismiss that explanation.

But this doesn’t require that much faith.

Here’s fact one: you and I behold an astonishing Cosmos around us.

Here’s fact two: we also see, not just decay, but spite.

Many people deny God exists; but can anyone deny evil does?

There are hatreds and crimes so cruel 

that they can only be explained by malice personified; 

and there you have it: the serpent; the devil.

There is a comforting lie that says, we’ll all end up just fine.

Go back to sleep.

But that’s not what Isaiah says. Or St. Paul. 

Or John the Baptist. Certainly not our Lord Jesus.

Let me offer a startling image.

We all know books and shows that are terrifying.  

If we’re smart, we don’t look at them before bed.

There was a film, “World War Z.” A TV series, “The Walking Dead.”

You know: about zombies.

You know what the real terror of zombies is?

It’s not that they are out there, somewhere.

Even across the street, or at the door.

No. The greatest dread is, I’ve been infected.

I’m becoming a zombie. Is it too late? 

When we talk about evil in the world,

it’s so tempting to say, what’s wrong is “those people,” 

or that economic system; 

or, that what we need is technology or money or a program.

No. The problem is sin: that evil that infects us,

and works on us gradually, till we become used to it,

And then at a certain point, it whispers to us: it’s too late for you!

That’s why Isaiah and John the Baptist yelled their heads off.

That’s why God decided sending prophets wasn’t enough; 

he had to come himself!

This is the part of the story we human beings don’t want to accept:

the crisis is worse than we realize. It’s to the bone.

Only then do you and I agree to the most radical surgery:

We need a new heart.

This season of Advent is about Eternity.

Preparing, not just for a celebration each year on Dec. 25, 

but for an eternity of true reconciliation:

Peace with God, with our best selves, and with each other.

That’s the picture Isaiah paints in the first reading.

But: It’s like a dream. A life of no evil; no harm? 

It doesn’t seem possible.

So, there’s the kick: the very fact that it seems so fantastic 

shows us how accustomed we are to things being bad!

And yet, if we’re used to it being bad, why do we even hope?

Zombies don’t care. They don’t hope.

That push-pull each of us experiences is the proof: 

No, you and I are NOT in that Paradise, this is surely not it! 

But we’re supposed to be!

That new heart is available! The operation works!

Our churches have extra hours scheduled 

for confession between now and Christmas.

Check the bulletin. Give yourself some moments for reflection.

This is our time. You and I need to change. And we can.

Why Advent? Why Creation? Why me? (1st Advent Homily)

 A lot of people don’t quite “get” Advent. 

And I suspect they may not want to admit that.

Let me confess, for a long time, that included me, too!

What do I mean, we don’t quite grasp Advent?

First, Advent comes and goes pretty quickly; 

we barely have time to focus before it’s over.

Second, the prayers and readings 

seem to pull us in different directions. 

We start out talking about the end of the world;

and we end focusing on the birth of Jesus. 

Am I the only one who finds that confusing? 

It took me a lot of years to reach an insight that has helped me, 

and so, I share it with you.

“Advent” means coming; and it is first about the approach of Eternity. 

Only then, within that frame, is it about Christmas.

Because, when you think about it, 

What is Christmas really about?

Far more than the birth of a baby.

Christmas is the birth of hope;

about Eternity becoming something concrete and present in our midst.

A frequent Advent refrain – we just heard it – is, “Be prepared.”

Yes, there will be an end to history.

Jesus “will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead

and his kingdom will have no end.”

Along the way, each of our own lives on earth will end.

At certain moments, both young and old, 

You and I have moments where we ask ourselves: 

what do I want my life to be about?

It can be a powerful thing to challenge yourself to live each day, 

not on a kind of auto-pilot, but with a view to the far horizon.

It is deeply satisfying to know my life is for something larger.

So that “being prepared” isn’t just for the last day, but each day.

To be a Christian is to believe that something larger is Jesus, 

and the redemption and hope he brings.

The word “Gospel” means “Good News.” 

But precisely why is it Good News?

The answer is that humanity has a deep problem 

that Jesus came to address. 

The answer is that you and I have an incredible destiny – 

and Jesus is the way there.

During this Advent, as a parish family we’re going to focus together

on this reality, both our need and His remedy.

Our patron St. John Paul II wrote that when people 

hear the story of both humanity’s spiritual poverty, 

and also the eternal riches Jesus offers,

"they are one day overwhelmed" 

and moved by grace to surrender their lives to Christ in faith. 

Have you been overwhelmed by the Gospel?

That’s our shared project for this Advent.

To be overwhelmed by Eternity, and by Jesus.

Here’s our tool: the other deacons, priests and I 

invite you to read this book (hold up book), 

Rescued, by Father John Riccardo. 

How you can obtain the book is on our website and in the bulletin.

There’s also a daily devotional booklet that you can download for FREE; 

and we do have some printed copies available as well.

Drawing from this book, we have four big questions,

Which we’ll dig into on the four Sundays of Advent.

They are: 

(1) Why is there something rather than nothing?

(2) Why is everything so obviously messed up?

(3) What, if anything, has God done about it?

(4) If God has done something, how should I respond?

Let’s start with that first question:

"Why is there something rather than nothing?"

Or more personally, “Why am I here?”

One of the first “overwhelmed” moments many of us have 

comes when we consider the Creation we belong to.

Who could fail to be dazzled by the night sky?

Parents: how did you react at the first glimpse of your child?

And if I’m not going too deep, we might further ask,

why do we even ask why?

Do dogs or even dolphins ask why?

This is where reason becomes the precipice for faith.

Does not all this around us – and we ourselves –

point to an act of Creation? An act of love?

If the answer is no, then why not be content to be animals?

No need to pray: “Help us, O God!” 

We can just prey, like wolves among sheep?

The Book of Genesis makes a startling claim, 

which most world religions don’t address, and some actively reject:

Humanity, male and female, is made in the image and likeness of God.

And this makes sense:

After all, as splendid as the Cosmos is,

There is no relationship with stars and comets and galaxies.

Only man can respond when the Creator asks, “where are you?”

The reason God created was to begin this great Romance:

To call each of us into relationship, unto Eternity.

In St. Paul’s words, that’s worth waking up for.

In Isaiah’s vision, that’s a mountain full of life.

And this is why Jesus himself sounds the alarm: 

It’s not automatic. It’s a choice. Prepare. 

Why is the King on the Cross? (Christ the King homily)

 Since today is the Feast of Christ the King, 

we might wonder why these readings are chosen for this feast.

Or, to put it more plainly:

Why is our King on a Cross?

He’s not on the throne, dispensing wisdom and justice.

He’s not being received with joy as he enters his city.

He was, on Palm Sunday, several days before.

But now he’s on the Cross. Why?

There are a lot of reasons, but one is, 

because the people who ought to have welcomed him did not. 

Instead, they beat him and nailed him to the Cross.

There’s a very simple, but very important point from this.

Lots of people don’t like Jesus Christ.

We have these debates: 

oh, if only the Church would say this, 

or stop talking about that. 

Everything would be so wonderful.

Or you’ll hear, it was so wonderful when John XXIII was pope.

Or when Father Friendly was pastor.

But notice: it isn’t lazy bishops, or mean priests, 

or the Church’s teaching on contraception 

or anything or anyone else that was nailed to the Cross;

But Jesus Christ himself. 

Which is what Jesus told us:

This world does not want him as King.

“If they hate me,” he said, “they will hate you.”

This is a valuable lesson to learn when we’re kids:

Sooner or later, if you and I take a stand,

Someone’s going to hit back and try to silence us.

It happened to Jesus; it will happen to you and me.

When Christ speaks of “the world” that hates him,

He doesn’t mean the beautiful world 

that he himself created, and all that’s good about it.

He means the sinful way this world operates.

The values of our world: we sometimes call it the kingdom of this world.

This may shock you, but: if Jesus had come in our time,

The outcome would have been the same.

The world that rejects Jesus is driven by 

greed, by lust, by wrath, by pride, and by grasping for power.

A few years ago, I saw a powerful movie called, “Twelve Years a Slave.” 

It tells the story about Solomon Northup, a real person, 

a free black man who lived in New York State in the 1840s, 

who was kidnapped and taken to Louisiana to be a slave.

After 12 years, friends found him and set him free.

Now the shocking thing, to me, 

wasn’t the violence or cruelty, 

but the thought of so many people who took part;

and even more, who shrugged and looked away.

And they were almost all Christians.

It reminds me of what Dr. Martin Luther King said, 

a century later, when the issue was segregation:

“History will have to record 

that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition 

was not the strident clamor of the bad people, 

but the appalling silence of the good people.”

Now, our response is to say, oh, that was then; we’re different.

Sometimes, but not always. 

Things have certainly changed 

in so many ways for the better--

thanks to Dr. King and others 

who didn’t remain silent or indifferent.

But there are other injustices crying out to heaven.

And still, good people remain silent.

The injustice of destroying unborn children goes on.

Many people don’t realize how this connects to medical research.

We’re turning human life into a mere commodity.

And so many good people remain silent.

The truth is, I could cite many examples. 

My point isn’t to say how terrible the world is.

This is a good world, but it needs to be converted.

It needs Jesus.

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving.

But if we’re not careful, 

it becomes more about gluttony than prayer.

Soon it will be Christmas: 

will it be about the Savior? Or the stuff?

I asked earlier, why is our King on the Cross, and not on the throne.

Well, the first throne we can offer him is our own hearts:

Is he on that throne?

Our King is on the Cross 

because that’s where this sinful world puts him.

Our task--his invitation to us--is to join him 

in confronting the injustices that govern so much of our world.

First, king in our hearts. Our families. Our Church.

Together we invite the world.