December 11th, 2011
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me.” We’ve heard these words before. Jesus spoke them in the first sermon he gave in his home synagogue in Nazareth. They were read over each of us when we were confirmed.
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| Posted in Homily |
In this week’s bulletin, the Advent scripture series, the Christmas service for those who mourn, and the children’s choir at the Christmas Eve family mass.
| Posted in Bulletin |
December 4th, 2011
I wonder what was going on in Palestine at the time of John the Baptist. Mark tells us that people from the Judean hill country and people from Jerusalem itself came out to listen to this strange preacher who came in out of the desert. Maybe there was at that time a general discontent with the way things were going. The oppressive Roman occupation didn’t make life easier. Graft and exploitation were part of life and life was hard unless you belonged to the rich and the powerful. It seems that true religious leadership was lacking and maybe the ordinary person has a sense that he/she lost their spiritual values, they were indifferent, uncaring about their ancient traditions and took for granted their relationship with God. Maybe there was a common consciousness of dissatisfaction with the way things were going. Maybe the ordinary struggling person was convinced that there’s got to be a better way, there had to be something better than the way things were and they were willing to listen to anyone who gave them the hope that things were meant to be different.
Then this stranger comes out of the desert calling people to get their act together. John’s message was not a soothing message. He called everyone, rich or poor, slave or free, to examine the way they lived their lives, especially the way they treated one another. John’s message was a message of hope; surely people had to change and if they made those effort things would be better. And hopeful people flocked to John as he called them back to basics.
I wonder if we as individuals, we as church, and we as a society might be reaching that critical mass of discontent with the way things are in our lives today. Hopefully the ‘occupy’ movements around the world can bring us to that critical mass of discontent with the unfair distribution of the world’s wealth and resources. Markets are up and down like a toilet seat. There is so much economic uncertainty. Ordinary people are facing lay offs and cut backs in their pensions. World governments will not face the reality of climate change, and are unwilling to make the changes necessary for the healing of Earth. The mindset is short term gain, read profit, let others worry about the long term pain. Time and again we’ve seen people in positions of trust who with giant salaries and rigged deals loot their companies as shamelessly as Third World dictators looted their impoverished countries.
Every year during this time of Advent we are offered an opportunity to examine and evaluate the way we live our lives as individuals, as church, as society. We are called to have the courage to stir up a holy discontent and a desire to make a difference in the way we live our lives.
The challenge of Advent is to clear a straight path for God: to end injustices and be more conscious of the needs of those less privileged than ourselves, to stop wars and the preparations for wars, to put discrimination and prejudice behind us, or in the words of an ancient prayer, to remove the things that hinder us from receiving Christ with joy.
In this week’s bulletin, the Advent scripture series, the Christmas service for those who mourn, and the Christmas pageant.
November 27th, 2011
This past week was a good week for watching TV. It was great to watch the Macy’s Christmas Parade with all it pomp and creativity, then a couple of exciting football games with all their hype. But then came the downer, those disgusting scenes of the shopping feeding frenzy and the violence of Black Friday. I don’t know about you but it boggled my mind. This wild craze to shop, people grabbing up things they don’t really need, fighting over junk, punching one another out, pepper spraying other people. I found it so disgusting. It’s that age old question, what’s the world coming to?
And then in Saturday’s Toronto Star there was a wonderful article on one of our parishioners who was buried from here on Thursday, Sam Manna. For years every Christmas, Sam and eventually his children were involved in delivering brightly wrapped gift boxes to needy children throughout the city. It made Sam cherish the things with which his own life was blessed. As one of his sons said, “helping needy people grounded him. It helped him appreciate what he had with his kids.” Sam knew that it is giving that we receive. Even as his own health failed and while caring for his sick wife Sam continue his work with the Santa Claus Fund. Sam, a quiet, unassuming man, was a long time parishioner of St. Gabes and was a force in the building of our new church. Sam was an expert in cement – look around and see his handiwork.
I’m trying to believe there are more Sam Mannas in the world than there are those crazed, grabbing people caught up in the propaganda, “shop til you drop.” Consume, consume, consume.
This is the first Sunday of Advent, a season of self examination as we prepared ourselves to celebrate the wonder of wonders: God loved the world so much that he sent his son to the world, not to condemn us but to embrace our humanity.’ How often do we say the Our Father without ever thinking of what we are saying? Do we really mean what we say when we pray ‘thy kingdom come’? Thy kingdom come to that part of me which has yet to be redeemed. We all know we are mistake-making beings, we all know we are unfinished products. Mark’s gospel tells all of us to wake up, be alert, be sensitive, be aware of life as it is lived around us, be open to all those occasions during the course of the day that call us to be more loving, more patient, more forgiving, more self controlled, more generous. Thy kingdom come to that part of me that is yet to be redeemed.
God called us to life at our conception, God called us to life at our baptism. Life is not a stagnant reality. Our life long journey is to grow in Christ, put on Christ. As long as we breathe there is more of our lives to opened, unlocked to God’s life and grace, there is so much more of us that has yet to be redeemed, so much more in our lives that can be open to God’s grace and life and healing.
May our Advent prayer be a constant, truthful prayer – thy kingdom come to that part of me that has yet to be redeemed so that each of us can image the Christ who loved us and died for us. The words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark may be read not only as a warning about the end times, but as a challenge for us to live in the present, to engage life now, to be attentive to the moment at hand. Thy kingdom come to that part of me which has yet to be redeemed –there is so much more to be done.
Founded by St. Paul of the Cross, every Passionist takes a special vow to spend his or her energies in promoting remembrance of the sufferings of Jesus, the memory of the Cross, and reflection of the meaning of the Cross for the world.
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