1st Sunday of Advent (Year C)

 The season of Advent is a short but complex theological journey. The first two Sundays speak of the advent (coming) of Jesus Christ, the Universal King, at the end of time. This continues on from last Sunday which was the Feast of Christ the King at the conclusion of Ordinal (Ordinary) Time. The tenor of this period is one of penance as we look to prepare ourselves so that the Lord will find us awake and alert to his triumphal return. We do not wait in fear for the end of time but maintain expectant hope that the Lord will ultimately greet with salvation those who long for his appearing. The Beatitudes tell us that those who long for justice, peace and righteousness will be satisfied, so we trust in the Lord's promise. A change occurs on the Third Sunday of Advent which is also known as Gaudete (Rejoice!) Sunday and is signaled by the colour rose in the liturgy. This is the counterpoint of the other Laetare (Rejoice!) Sunday which is the Fourth Sunday of Lent. From then we turn to waiting with joyful expectation the commemoration of the first advent of Jesus being born at Christmas. The great mystery of God at work in history leading up to Christmas and becoming human in the Incarnation inform this theology. In the one season we celebrate the one Lord who is: Second Person of the Holy Trinity, through whom the Universe was made; the Word made flesh as baby in the manger at Bethlehem; and finally, the victor over sin and death in whom the Universe finds its consummation and fullest realization in the resurrection at the Last Judgment. I encourage all parishioners to enter the spiritual and liturgical significance of this holy season even though we have so many other distractions at the same time. One way we can do this is by coming to reconciliation at rite I or rite II so that we know God's mercy and love at what is for many a time of stress.

Feast of Christ the King - 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The line absent from the gospel today is the question of Pilate to Jesus: " 'What is truth?' " (Jn 18: 38) In a world where it seems objective truth is more and more seen as unobtainable; we can feel edified that Jesus stood before the might of the Roman Empire and refused to be intimidated. Our faith in Jesus Christ tells us that he is the "Lord of lords and King of kings." (Rev 19: 16) This is both due to his personhood in the Holy Trinity such that all Creation was made through him and his resurrection: "Then comes the end, when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to the Father. after he has destroyed every ruler, and every power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor 15: 24-26) True, our faith is a sure and certain hope in things not seen, but the inbreaking of the Kingdom in our hearts and lives gives us an unshakeable conviction that Jesus and no other power or person rules history and the world and is the ultimate arbiter of truth.

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The lectionary introductory verse is a little misleading today when it states: "Jesus began to talk to his disciples." In fact, what is said is part of a conversation initiated by the senior disciples, Peter, James, John and Andrew who ask him privately: " 'Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign that these things are about to be accomplished.' " (Mk 13: 3-4) We, as missionary disciples, are made privy to this conversation which echoes the revelation of Christ's messianic glory on the Mount of Transfiguration. On this occasion we sit with Jesus on the Mount of Olives which is where the Messiah was thought to appear when the end of time comes about. Jesus prophecies much suffering, but the real spoiler alert is that the prophecy concerning the Son of Man, from the Book of Daniel (Dan 7: 13-14), will be fulfilled. Post resurrection we know that Jesus is the Son of Man and that in his risen glory he holds ultimate power to the future: " 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of death and of Hades." (Rev 1: 17-19) This means that even though the timing of the end of the world is known only to the Father (Mk 13: 32) we can be confident that our Lord and Saviour, victor over sin and death, will be there to sustain us with his power on that day: "... so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." (Heb 9: 28)

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The words that struck me in today's gospel are: "... but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." (Mk 12: 41) True faith in God means placing all my trust in him. How many of us see our Catholic faith as a "good to have" or an "optional extra"? I suspect a lot of people think that way, whether they are mindful of it or not, when they attend Church only at Christmas and Easter. Everyone is "busy" and has many obligations or calls on their time. To be a missionary disciple I cannot simply make room or time for faith as if it is on a par with everything else. I need to allow the joy of the Gospel to transform my life so that I re-prioritize to whom and to what I give my attention and resources. To do this I need to admit my need of God and his merciful love. It helps if I recognize my spiritual as well as my material poverty in the face of the immense love of God for me. Gratitude for Christ's sacrifice therefore becomes not a theory or an idea but the motivation for a radical orientation of my life: "for the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore, all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them." (2 Cor 5: 14-15) In this way I can give out of my poverty and, imitating the poor widow, hand over all I have for God's purposes. 

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time

 This episode takes place after the cleansing of the Temple by Jesus. In this adversarial and inflamed atmosphere, which leads the High Priest to conclude: "... that it was better to have one person die for the people" (Jn 18: 14) we are surprised by a civil and respectful dialogue between Jesus and a scribe. The scribe asks his question and Jesus replies. Having listened to this the scribe responds: "You are right. Teacher." (Mk 12: 32) Jesus likewise takes in this response and reciprocates by saying: "You are not far from the kingdom of God." (Mk 12: 36) Often it is easier for Catholics to tolerate outsiders than to dialogue with fellow Catholics. Let us listen to Pope Francis who asks us to enact synodality as a principle of Church life. This leads us to listen to the Holy Spirit and to each other, as we accompany one another as missionary disciples in a fearful and polarized world. Synodality requires that we all take co-responsibility for the mission of the Church and live out the vocations and charisms that have been so richly poured out on us by the Holy Spirit. Let us not be distracted by past failures and sins because we have the power of the risen Christ to sustain us: "... but Jesus holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them." (Heb 7: 24-25)

Commemoration of All Souls

 The second reading for today concludes with: "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Cor 15: 26) We also know from St Paul that: "For the wages of sin is death." (Rm 6: 23) The process of purgatory is the completion of the process of death that is the poisonous fruit of sin. We cannot come into the presence of God with death at work in us. St John teaches: "... that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true, But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from sin." (1 Jn 1: 5-7) In his mercy God allows for us to have the darkness purged from us so that we may enter fully and joyfully into his light. Our prayers for the dead are part of our fellowship with them in Christ since as Jesus told the Sadducees: "He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong." (Mk 12: 27) Let us continue to pray for our dearly departed and in doing so affirm our faith and hope in the resurrection when we will meet with them again in fulness of joy and light.

Solemnity of All Saints

 "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God." (1 Jn 3:1) All of us are called to be saints. St Paul greets the Christians of Rome with: "To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints." (Rm 1:7) This is not easy. Jesus speaks of entering the "narrow gate" (Mtt 7:13) and Catechism teaches us: "The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes." (CCC2015) The saints are those who fully enjoy this reality. They are not separated from us because they remain as part of the Body of Christ. They are not just role models and witnesses, they are companions in prayer who support us in our trials and exhort us to greater efforts such that when we meet in heaven we can rejoice forever. The image given for this is that of the Book of Revelation: "Then I heard what seemed to be a voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals crying out: 'Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and given him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready; to her it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure' - for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints." (Rev 19: 6-8)