December 24/25, 2004: Christmas Homilies

Father Jeffrey Lawrence sends you blessings for a Joyous Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Holy New Year!

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CHRISTMAS EVE + JESUS CHRIST IS ABOUT TO BE BORN
Mass of 7:30 PM

God bless you all for coming out to worship with us this Christmas Eve at St. Paul’s. I wish you a Merry Christmas… a joyous, holy, and peace-filled Christmas.

Welcome home to children back from school, from the Service, from your homes in distant cities. Welcome back to parents, grandparents, beloved family members and friends who have over the years moved away from Danville but have come home for the holidays. Welcome also to first-time visitors. We hope you will all experience not just the blessings of Christ’s Nativity, but also the warmth of our parish Church.

This is Christmas Eve. In just a few hours, the Christ child will quietly enter the world. Just like a blanket of snow muffles the sounds and hides the ground, so too does the Messiah’s holy disguise as an ordinary baby let Him slip into the world undetected.

About this time 2,000 years ago, Mary and Joseph were trudging around Bethlehem looking for a place to stay. Sadly, as we all know, there was no room at the inn where travelers usually lodged. Imagine how you would feel if you were Mary: exhausted on your feet and ready to deliver your baby. Or if you were Joseph, worried about your wife in that condition and powerless to fix the situation.

Yes, it would be easy to fret or curse the innkeeper for turning the Holy Couple away. But really, we have to smile and rejoice. God, who is everywhere, is watching over his precious Mary and Joseph. He has a Plan—a plan with a capital “P”!

I don’t mean an “Oh no! No room at the inn! Now what do we do?” kind of plan. I mean an amazing, perfectly-conceived plan that goes back to the very beginning of creation. Why, even before that!

That Gospel that we just heard—that genealogy with all those funny-sounding names. . . that family tree that twists and turns with an occasional illegitimate child, a wife stolen in adultery, plenty of political intrigue, and all the rest—through all of this, God knew what He would accomplish. All of this, from Abraham down to poor Mary and Joseph, footsore and anxious, was part of the Plan.

Tonight, on Christmas Eve, the moment is at hand for the climax: Jesus Christ is about to be born! And all of us must adore Him. Not because it’s the “law,” but because it’s our joy and our salvation.

Tonight, we crowd into this church in Danville, an obscure town of Illinois—a blip on the earth’s crust like Bethlehem was. . . to worship. But even more important that worshiping Him at Holy Mass on Christmas Eve is to worship Him always and everywhere—because remember, God is everywhere.

St. John Chrysostom, the great saint and doctor of the early Church, wrote a beautiful little meditation 1,600 years ago on just this point. He says: “It is possible while sitting in your workshop stitching leather to consecrate your heart to God. It is possible for the person standing over a pot cooking to make fervent and frequent prayer though it is not possible to enter a church. For God takes no thought of place. This alone He requires of us: a mind and soul that loves the things of God.”

Of course, dear children in the Lord, there is nothing more valuable or more holy than participating in the Holy Mass, allowing God’s Word to soak into your heart, receiving His Body and Blood in Holy Communion—the Bread of Angels! But that is not where the story ends until the next time you come to Mass! Oh no, that’s the springboard to sanctify your everyday life.

Would a good mother only want to snuggle with her child at meal time—and then only once a week? Of course not! So too must we turn our minds and hearts often to our beloved Lord—and let His comfort touch our souls and a smile cross our lips. Because as much as we can humanly adore Jesus, that love doesn’t hold a candle to the love that He has for each and every one of us—God’s beloved children in the world. . . each of us formed in His very image and likeness.

It really isn’t all that hard to bring Jesus into more of your life. It just takes cultivating some little habits—especially praying. When you wake up in the morning, greet Jesus! Take a few seconds to smile, thank Him for another day, and ask Him to bless you and your endeavors.

Remember Him at meal time with grace—or at least a whisper of thanks for providing your daily bread.

Let your last “good night” be to Him before you turn in. Thank Him for His blessings, and tell Him you’re sorry for yours sins and shortcomings of the day. Ask Him to forgive you, bless you, and keep you through the night.

You see? You don’t have to memorize long prayers. Just talk to Him, just the way a child would talk to His Mommy or Daddy. Just love Him with simplicity and trust.

How blessed we are on this holy Christmas Eve that Jesus will soon be here once again!— so we have a chance once more to start over to love Him and cherish Him.

May God pour out His abundant blessings on you and all your loved ones this Christmas. Praised be Jesus Christ—now and forever. Amen!

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CHRISTMAS AT MIDNIGHT + 11:59

In the Name of Jesus Christ and His Blessed Mother, I welcome you to St. Paul’s on this most holy night as Christmas is nigh: the midnight hour at which the Holy Infant came into the world two thousand years ago.

I extend special greetings to all of you—children, parents, grandparents and beloved family members and friends—who have returned to Danville this Christmas. . . and to first-time visitors, too. May you be truly blessed on this joyous night as we celebrate Our Lord’s birth.

I find it breathtaking that just a moment before—at 11:59 p.m., if you will—the world had no inkling of what tremendous change lay ahead. Imagine turning back the clock a mere one minute before a huge earthquake. . . before the announcement that you just hit every single number of the lottery. . . before hearing the doctor say that it’s cancer—or “Congratulations, Mrs. Jones, you have a brand new, healthy son!”

Sixty seconds ago, you suspected nothing. Now, your world is forever changed.

And that’s just how it is with the coming of Jesus. As the prophet Isaiah puts it so beautifully, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Yes, in Jesus, God has offered mankind His most precious gift, for this Jesus is our way out of sin, out of despair and misery. . . our way to the truth. . . our way to eternal life. Sixty seconds ago, the world waited. And now, He’s here!

But look in that crib! He’s so small—so helpless looking! Who could possibly have guessed the huge plan that God has in store for such a tiny one over the next few short years?

But then again, isn’t it funny: can’t we really say the very same thing about our own lives? Who could possibly guess the important work that God still has planned for you over the course of your life that’s still ahead?

There’s a beautiful little story about two orphans, a boy and a girl, from Germany, who were living with their uncle and aunt. All through Advent the boy had been saving his money for a gift to the Christ-Child, but on Christmas Eve, he gave the money to his little sister so that she could present a gift to the Babe in the manger.

The aunt and uncle had already gone to Midnight Mass, and the children were getting ready to follow along, when an old lady with a cane knocked at the door. She was cold and hungry. Even though the children were eager to get to church, they invited the old woman in, gave her coffee and bread, and warmed her before the fire. Then, they hurried off to church, with their unknown guest following behind them.

In that German village, as in many others, it was the legendary belief that the angel rang the church bells after Midnight Mass for the one who offered the best gift to Christ. That’s why the children had been saving up. So when Mass was over, the priest called for the gifts. The children’s uncle offered a chest of gold, but the bells did not ring. The local poet read a beautiful poem to the Christ-Child, and still the bells did not ring. Jewelry and precious cloth and other treasures were offered, but the bells were still silent.

At last comes the turn of our little friends. Meekly and with apologies they tell the priest they would like to give a lot of money or something very precious, but they could not, because they had given their savings to the old lady. Then they told how they had taken her in and fed her. While they were telling their childish story, the bells began to ring. Everyone was overjoyed that the simple kindness of these little ones had been the most precious gift to the Infant Christ.

That young boy and girl would never have guessed that their gracious hospitality could ever have been so important. And the same goes for us: a small kindness here, a word of thanks, a little smile, a bit of patience, a gentle word of encouragement, holding our tongue instead of losing our cool—any of these tiny, insignificant deeds might have huge consequences. . . perhaps even eternal consequences. Each of these is a ray of glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. Each of these could just turn another person’s life around for the better. Each of these is potentially a jewel in our heavenly crown.

Incredible! We cannot remind ourselves too often that even the smallest kindness done out of love is precious in the eyes of the Lord.

Actually, this kind of love is not awfully hard to spread. Begin with those closest to you: your husband or wife, your children, your parents, your brothers and sisters, your family and friends, your classmates, your fellow workers—the people you see all the time. Extend them countless small kindnesses without counting the cost—just like the children in my little story.

Lots of times, though, there are terrible problems in our families and closest relationships. Some of these may go back many, many years. These situations also call for love—in fact, they call for bold and persistent love. They call for a love that’s not quite so easy to offer at first. It’s an amazing kind of love—the kind that Christ Himself was asked to give. It’s Christmas love.

You mustn’t be afraid. Trust Jesus and take the bull by the horns. Let go of the past hurts. Forgive those who have hurt you. Make up with them, if you can. Throw your arms around them and tell them that you’re sorry for the things you’ve done and beg for the chance to make a new beginning. Beg the Lord on your knees with tears and prayers to bless you in your efforts. And if you don’t succeed right away, keep trying.

Don’t be too proud or stubborn to let God’s gentle love melt icy hearts. How quickly this life passes by. It might already be 11:59. There’s not a single second to lose.

Christmas is a holy and grace-filled time for new beginnings—new beginnings in divine love. Before you leave Mass today, I invite you to come up here and kneel at the foot of the manger. Promise beautiful Jesus that things are going to be different, starting here and now. Ask Him for His guidance and blessings. Ask Him for a heart that loves as He loves. I promise you, He will not refuse you.

God bless you, one and all. May the true peace and love of Christmas fill your hearts to overflowing. Amen.

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CHRISTMAS DAY + CHRISTMAS & CHANGE
Mass at 9:00 AM Christmas Day

Peace and blessings to all! Our King and Savior, Jesus Christ, has been born in the City of David!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas—a joyous, holy, and peace-filled Christmas!

Welcome home to children back from school, from the Service, from your homes in distant cities. Welcome back to parents, grandparents, beloved family members and friends who have over the years moved away from Danville but have come home for the holidays. Welcome also to first-time visitors. May you experience not just the blessings of Christ’s Nativity but also the warmth of St. Paul’s Church.

I don’t know about you, but Christmas is one of the main time-measuring tools I use in my life. I remember my first puppy of so many Christmases ago—well before Maggie. . . my first Christmas when I was in love. . . the Christmas when I first went to Rockefeller Center to see the Rockettes. . . my first Christmas as a priest. . . my first Christmas after my Mom died. It seems that each Christmas marks off another year of changes—sometimes huge, sometimes not.

This is my 54th Christmas. Some of you may smile and say, “Aw, he’s just a kid!” Others are probably thinking, “Ewwww! That’s ancient!”

I feel pretty much like I did at 19 or 20, except for a few more aches and pains. . . a few more pounds. . . not being able to bend over the same way or stay up quite so late at night. . . but oh yes, a lot more peace, patience and life-experience. . . wisdom, perhaps. I definitely feel that I am not just aging, but also growing.

How about you? Do you feel that your life has been purposeful. . . one of continual, and in the main, positive, change—or do you feel that somehow, you’re stuck in a rut?

One of the great mysteries of Christmas is that while life may throw change at us—and often much too fast for comfort!—the Lord Himself, and His love, are unchanging and constant. As the Scriptures remind us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13, 8).

Our Savior—there in that manger… newly-born into the world—came to teach us this comforting truth: no matter what upheavals in life we may undergo, and no matter how rocky things may get, Jesus Christ is always our anchor—our safe haven. We can always turn to Christ and rely on Him to help us cope and survive and yes, even thrive. Again, the words of the Scripture assure us: “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps 46, 1).

Recently, I was talking to a man who lost his wife after 38 happy years of marriage. His daughter was pressuring him to sell the house and move in with her, but the poor man couldn’t begin to think of giving up both a wife and home all at once. So for days, he just wandered through the rooms of the house, letting memories tear at his soul. Finally, one day he knelt down beside his bed and asked God to help him, to assure him that death wasn’t the final separation between him and his wife. He wasn’t sure if he actually heard a voice or not, but the words came clearly to him: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in Me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” (Jn 11, 25). The man practically sprang to his feet in joy and said, “Yes! I believe!” And from that day forward, he felt a peace come into his life, comforting and assuring.

His experience teaches a valuable lesson that we can all profit from: when changes come and things look hopeless—whether because of death, illness, or any other kind of major setback in life—remember to turn to God, because He has promised: “I will never leave you or forsake you” (Heb 13, 5).

Christmas, you see, isn’t really about a jolly Santa in a bright red suit. . . or a reindeer with a shiny nose who might have run over Grandma. . . no, it’s about our God who loves us so much, for real, that He set a plan into motion to save us and bless us with divine grace and life.

There. Look in that crib. All these promises, all this love, come from Him. . . from Jesus Christ, whose joyous birth we celebrate today!

May the blessings of Our Newborn Savior overflow in your life and bring you great joy and peace always!

December 19, 2004: “Do Not Be Afraid, Joseph”

The Fourth Sunday of Advent


We come today to the fourth and last Sunday of Advent. Christmas is now just around the corner. At this time, 2,000 years ago, as we all know, Joseph and his wife Mary were getting ready to make the 70-or-so-mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census; perhaps they were already on the road. But as the Gospel today suggests, there were some rocky moments just a few months before . . .

According to the wedding customs of the time, Joseph and Mary were already betrothed, or legally bound, to one another even though they weren’t yet living together as husband and wife. It was more than what we call a time of engagement which could have been broken off without too much difficulty for just about any reason. Rather, this was a real marriage, although in a provisional sense. The popular Jewish term was tenayim, which literally means “conditions.” The marriage was made, but the parties could have anywhere from a month or two up to a year to live up to all the terms of the premarital arrangements, especially settling the dowry with the bride’s father and working out the penalties should there be a breach. Then, when everything was finalized, a lavish ceremony and celebration would take place, the bride would move in with her husband and they would start a family.

Besides being a testament to love and faithfulness, Jewish marriage was also very much a celebration of fertility. God’s command, “Be fruitful and multiply!” was always at the top of the list of the precepts of the Law. In fact, as the bridesmaids helped the bride to dress for her wedding, they would sing to her, “May God bless you and make you the mother of ten thousand children!”

So imagine Joseph, filled with joy and hope and great expectation at the prospect of his marriage to Mary, learning that his wife was already with child!

Joseph reacts with fear to this news. We know this because the St. Matthew tells us that the angel appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.”

Given our modern way of thinking, we might assume that Joseph was afraid because he thought Mary had committed adultery. Mary knew, Joseph knew, of course everybody knew, how babies are conceived. Joseph loved Mary, and he could therefore be afraid of exposing her to the law to be accused, tried and most likely put to death by stoning. And at the same time, he could have been afraid to take on the responsibility and burden of supporting another man’s child, so he might simply divorce her quietly and go his own way. He might then even be afraid of being alone again . . .

But actually, the Scriptures are speaking of a very different kind of fear that Joseph had. He was a righteous man, we’re told—a pious and trusting follower of God. Just as Mary believed and had faith that she could conceive by the Holy Spirit, so did Joseph. Mary would certainly have repeated to him the words that the archangel spoke to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” Joseph well understood that for some mysterious reason, God had chosen to reserve Mary, his wife, to Himself; so of course Joseph would be afraid of her sanctity. How could a mere man touch, much less marry, what belongs to God? Think back to the days of Moses when no one could so much as set foot on even the very base of Mt. Sinai, because it was holy ground . . . or to the days of King David when to touch the Ark of the Covenant containing the stone tablets of the Ten Commandments would mean death. But this! This is no inanimate object set apart by God . . . but the holiest vessel imaginable holding God’s very own Son!

In biblical Hebrew, there was no word for “bachelor.” There was no need for such a word, because the idea of celibacy was unthinkable. The Talmud—the commentary on the Jewish Scriptures—said this: “An unmarried man lives without good, without a helper, without joy, without blessing, and, finally, without atonement.” In other words, you’d live and die miserable—cursed!

Yet what was Joseph to be? Somehow married to Mary, yet afraid to approach her! Wanting to obey God’s command to be fertile and multiply, yet somehow being called by the Lord to something else that everyone always assumed was a horrid state of life.

With the help of the angel, Joseph resolved this quandary and chose celibacy within his marriage—something unthinkable in the ancient Jewish world. . . but how could this righteous man of God have chosen otherwise? Indeed, everything that the Talmud said would be lacking to the celibate, was actually given to Joseph many times over! That is always how God operates; He will not be outdone in generosity when we do His will.

So good and holy Joseph rose humbly and superbly to the challenge. In the Scriptures, Joseph stays pretty much in the background. Not a single word that he spoke was ever recorded. But this doesn’t mean that his role was of no consequence. Hardly! He took the Virgin into his home. He exercised authority given him by naming the Child as the angel instructed. The name itself is significant, too: Jesus, the one who would save us from our sins. He would fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy of Emmanuel, God-with-us. Joseph caring for this Child and rearing Him as his own perhaps raised some eyebrows . . . perhaps evoked some wonder. But Joseph did not shrink from this awesome task. After all, the angel had reassured him, “Do not be afraid.”

To think about Joseph is truly to experience the splendor of God. Mother Teresa once remarked, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” No doubt, Joseph had his life all planned out—but didn’t the Lord have fun throwing in a monkey wrench!

Each and every one of us, to some extent or another, is called and challenged to be a mini-Joseph: to be righteous, to listen for the voice of God and obey it, to expect the unexpected, to roll with the punches, to have a deep faith and a healthy fear of the Divine . . . and most of all, not to be afraid because Emmanuel, God-with-us, is coming very soon to save us.

What a breathtaking story. And it’s mine and yours.



Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 7, 10–14
Psalm 24
Romans 1, 1–7
Matthew 1, 18–24

(School Mass): Friday, December 17, 2004

Every afternoon, they show reruns of the old “Andy Griffith Show” on the TVLand channel. Maybe some of you have seen some of the episodes.

When the show first started, they had to explain how that family came to be—why Aunt Bee was living with Sheriff Andy Taylor and his little boy, Opie. So one of the earliest stories in the series told how Andy’s wife had died. He asked his Aunt Bee to come live with them so she could add a feminine touch.

But Opie wasn’t happy. He thought that Aunt Bee was somehow trying to “replace” his mother—which nobody could ever do. Andy came up with an idea: he invited Aunt Bee to go fishing and frog-catching with them, figuring that Opie would become attached to her. It didn’t work, because Aunt Bee was a miserable failure at fishing, frogging, and later football.

Finally, late at night, after Opie was in bed, Aunt Bee talked Andy into taking her to the bus station. Opie heard her crying outside his bedroom window and guessed that she was leaving. He hopped out of bed, ran down the stairs and out to the truck, and exclaimed to his dad, “We can’t let her go, Pa! She needs us! She can’t even catch frogs, take fish off the hook, or throw a football. We’ve got to take care of her or she’ll never make it!”

Even little Opie understood that taking care of your family is something very important that we all have to do. Even though Aunt Bee wasn’t too good at a lot of stuff, he didn’t want her to leave. Love is a lot stronger than being able to catch frogs!

You’d want to keep your Mom even if she always burned your dinner, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t want to send your little brother to the orphanage even if he’s always messing with your stuff. Your parents certainly wouldn’t send you away if you got sick . . . or failed a test . . . or even got in trouble at home or school all the time. Yes, of course, love is a lot stronger than all that.

And that, you see, is one of the reasons for this strange Gospel reading today with all those funny names. It’s called a “genealogy”—which is the proper name for a family tree, or the history of a family from a long, long time ago to the present day.

St. Matthew put the story of Jesus’ family right at the very beginning of his Gospel for a few different reasons. First, he wanted to tell us about the human side of Jesus’ family so we’d know that He really was true man with grandparents, great-grandparents, great-great-grandparents and lots more ancestors like we all have.

And another reason—a reason that I especially like to think about—is to show us how strong and powerful God’s love is.

You probably don’t know an awful lot about all the people whose names we heard, but many of those men and women have very interesting stories.

Some, of course, were very good and kind and holy—people like Abraham, King Solomon, and Joseph.

But some of them were pretty wicked and committed terrible sins. In that list, we find murderers . . . cowards . . . people who betrayed their friends and even family members . . . mothers who had babies without being married . . . and people who wouldn’t obey God.

Did God push them away and tell them to get lost? No way! Instead, He made them part of His family. They are part of the family tree, the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Without all of those people, good and bad, there would not have been a Jesus!

Now think about what that means: if God loved and cherished all the good people and bad people of the past, don’t you think that He’ll love and cherish you and me, too—even if we’re not always as good as we know we should be? Of course He will—and does.

And, there’s something else, too: Jesus came from the same family tree and He was perfect. Remember, He was a man like us in all ways except sin. So it doesn’t matter what your mother did, or what your grandfather did, or what your great-great-great-uncle did . . . you’ve got everything that you need “in your genes” to be perfect, too!

Jesus wants us to remember this, especially as we get closer to Christmas. Isn’t it a happy feeling to know that we’re always safe with God and His love is always there, no matter what!

The very best gift we can give Jesus this Christmas is to try to be the kind of girl or boy, or man or woman, that He wants us to be. He loves us too much for us not to be holy! The best gift you can give Jesus doesn’t cost any money and doesn’t have to be wrapped. Just promise Him from your heart that you will love Him more and really try to be good and loving towards everyone you meet—especially your own family!

Today, of course, is the last day of school before our Christmas break, so I want to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and holy New Year! Have a great vacation—you’ve worked hard and you deserve it! I promise to pray for you and ask God’s special blessings on all of you. Please pray for me, too, as Maggie and I travel to Ohio to be with our family.

Come back safe, and we’ll see you in 2005! God love you all.

December 12, 2004: In the Footsteps of the Prophets

The Third Sunday of Advent




St. Teresa of Ávila was an extraordinary woman. She grew up in Spain during the 16th century and was one of ten very outgoing and talented children. Teresa lost her mother when she was just a teenager, and her governess encouraged her in her religion, so Teresa received the habit of the Carmelites. She was blessed with mystical experiences, but these special gifts alienated her religious sisters who were jealous or distrustful of her. In fact, the more Teresa tried to follow the way of perfection in Christ, the more she was vilified and attacked. While she had peace on the inside because she was doing the Lord’s will, on the outside, life was a misery for many long years.

There’s a great story about St. Teresa. One time, she and some companions were making a journey on horseback. The weather was cold, damp and dreadful. As the small party was fording a stream, Teresa’s horse bucked and threw her on her rump in the icy water. Through tears of frustration, she cried out, “Why, Lord?” And Jesus answered her: “Teresa, that’s how I treat my friends.” And Teresa shot back, “No wonder you have so few of them!”

Was Teresa’s experience unique? No way! From the beginning, the prophets and the saints never had it easy.

Moses took his life in his hands when he went before Pharaoh. His own people didn’t appreciate his efforts to free them, but instead hated him for disturbing the comfort and familiarity of their slavery! He put up with their whining and relapses into wickedness for 40 years, and the people finally got his goat so badly that Moses gave into his famous outburst in the wilderness and wasn’t even allowed to step into the Promised Land.

Then there was Elijah who was universally detested. Kings wanted to do him in because he wouldn’t tell them what they wanted to hear. “No,” he said, “I’m not going to lie to you and promise you military victories and God’s blessings on your crops. Hear the truth! You’re sinners, and you’re going to be punished!” You see, he wouldn’t play the politically-correct game of his day, and he suffered for it almost constantly . . . even though his prophecies always proved correct. How do you think Elijah felt? Was he glad to be right—to be on God’s side? In one famous passage in First Kings, Elijah sat down under a tree and prayed to die then and there.

The prophet Jeremiah had similar experiences. I can just picture him shouting up to heaven, “Come on, Lord. Shoot me now!”

And John the Baptist, once again featured in this week’s Gospel, couldn’t help speaking out whenever he saw sin. He also didn’t win many friends and eventually wound up decapitated.

Even Jesus Christ, the Son of God Himself, angered the world. Yes, the people loved His healings, His miracles, His beautiful sermons . . . but not so much that they were willing to accept Him and respond to His call for them to amend their lives. That they couldn’t stand. Christ was murdered to silence Him.

St. Paul—well, we all know what he endured. He suffered condemnation, defamation, physical and emotional abuse, beatings, imprisonment, and finally martyrdom.

Ditto for the apostles, every Pope and bishop of the early church, and thousands upon thousands of bishops, priests, nuns, and holy lay people in every place and age from the time of Christ up until the present day.

It’s even be known to happen in St. Paul’s Parish in Danville, Illinois, when people don’t like particularly irksome parts of God’s truth preached at them or their children!

Why all this turmoil in the Church? I guess because it’s human nature to shoot the messenger bearing news that makes you squirm. But I like to remember the parting advice from one of our seminary professors: “If all the people like you, then you’re not preaching the Gospel!”

According to Tertullian’s famous quote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church”—in other words, the suffering of God’s holy ones is like nourishment meant to feed and pump up the Mystical Body of Christ. . . like water makes the plants grow.

And eventually, the growth will be so lush that it will usher in the Kingdom of God in all its fullness. A few are asked to suffer so that many, many more may be saved. That is how strong God’s love is.

But, oh! What a cost! And it’s taking so long!

Not only are God’s people who are striving to be holy suffering, but so is the world that still seems to be steeped in sin and misery and darkness.

But a ray of hope breaks through like today’s rose vestments in the midst of our purple season. St. James tells us today, “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord.” Like the farmer who has to wait patiently for his crop to come in—and hopefully not be lost to floods or drought or disease… like the cook who has to wait patiently for the pot to boil… so we, too, must be patient. “Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

James goes on to tell us not to complain about one another. How’s that for a bit of humor, especially in the Church today? Don’t complain about each other! Who doesn’t complain about something or someone? It’s unbecoming enough to complain about things in the world—taxes, crime, poverty, spammers, those bums in Washington or Springfield, lawyers, doctors, your favorite football team . . . but to complain about Mother Church? Priests and bishops? The Holy Father? Our brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus with whom we not only break bread but share the Most Holy Eucharist every week? Oh my. . .

“. . . that you may not be judged,” adds St. James. Yes, we must not forget that when we stand before Our Lord on that dreadful day we will have to account for every word.

“Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.”

These men and women—some tough as nails, some reduced to quivering jelly in the end—are our reminders. Jesus told us flat out that to get into heaven, we must go through the narrow gate. It can be an unpleasant, and frequently brutal journey—but we must be filled with great hope that the Lord will help us succeed on our way. It is His desire that we succeed.

So like our illustrious forebears, out of love for God’s people, we must dare to speak the truth fearlessly, no matter how rough the road.

And for those of us on the receiving end, if only we could soften our stony hearts and let some of His love and light flow in . . .





Today’s Readings:

Isaiah 35, 1–6 and 10
Psalm 146
James 5, 7–10 (Key Reading)
Matthew 11, 2–11

December 5, 2004: Where 40,000 Churches Went Wrong

The Second Sunday of Advent



Here in our church this past Wednesday evening, we hosted a candlelight vigil and prayer service to commemorate World AIDS Day. It was a beautiful and touching service in which we remembered loved ones and strangers who succumbed to this dreadful disease and in which we prayed that a cure could be found and this scourge brought to an end.

I sat in a pew with Father Scanlon next to me—the priest from the Episcopal Church downtown. Behind me sat two other pastors, a husband and wife team, from another church in town… and there were several other preachers and ministers present—plus, of course, a large group of lay people.

I thought: isn’t it funny? Here we are—all Christian people… all believers and followers of Jesus Christ—yet from different churches. How did this come to be?

I can’t quote you a source, but the “factoid” that sticks in my head is that there are something like 40,000 different denominations, branches and sects of Christianity. If you open up the Danville Yellow Pages, right after “Chinese Food” and “Chiropractors,” you’ll find three single-spaced pages of Christian churches and congregations… and that’s just in our little community! You can imagine what the world-wide picture looks like.

Again I ask: how did this come to be?

We might seek an answer by casting our eyes back to John the Baptist, the precursor of the Lord, featured in St. Matthew’s gospel today.

John sounds like a bit of a kook to our ears—and actually people of his own day considered him rather much. He dressed differently, lived differently, acted differently, and spoke differently from regular, mainstream folks. Yet, to be sure, he had a following.

One thing about John: he wasn’t afraid to speak the truth, whatever the consequences. We all know that ultimately, that proved to be his undoing. He offended Herod and his divorcee wife. Herodias—Mrs. Herod—was cunning and manipulative enough to see to it that John’s head was put on a platter. How she must have gloated… but you wonder where she’s spending eternity.

In the Gospel today, John said something quite unsettling to the Jews who came around to hear him speak: “God can raise up children to Abraham from these very stones!” What he meant was that no matter how good we may think our religious structures, institutions and traditions are, God doesn’t need them. God, you see, is concerned with our beliefs and our actions of faith, not the structures of our faith.

That’s exactly why when Isaiah, in the first reading, speaks about the ideal Jewish king, he stresses not the kingship itself, but the environment of peace and justice that the king will bring about: “Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice.” Then he illustrates what he means with beautiful symbolism: the wolf will be a guest of the lamb… the calf will browse with the lion… and so on.

Jesus Christ, of course, comes with the same message. After all, God is God—the same in very ancient times, in Christ’s time, in our time, and for ever. But we don’t listen.

The prophet Isaiah, Jesus Christ, St. Paul… they all utter beautiful words of peace and unity… but look at us who call ourselves Christians! Our division into hundreds and thousands of denominations is embarrassing. Isn’t it a sign that we put our emphasis more on “which church we belong to” over the one true faith that is supposed to unite us.

But again it’s appropriate to ask, “Why?”

I daresay we have good intentions, but we are very human—plagued by very human weakness and concupiscence. We are seduced into making ourselves the center of the universe. If someone offends me, I cut him off. If it’s a priest, I find another parish. If it’s a bishop, maybe I’ll just skip over to another diocese—or better yet, simply stop giving him any financial support! If it’s a teaching I disagree with, well, maybe I’ll join another church… and if I can’t find one that fits the bill, then I can start my own. How do you think we arrived at 40,000 different denominations?

Is that why Christ came at Christmas—to start 40,000 churches like so many McDonald’s franchises? I don’t think so. He wouldn’t have teed off so many powerful people and gone to His death if His aim was to please and satisfy all of mankind.

No, I believe that John the Baptist had it right. He may have been offensive at times, but he fearlessly spoke and did the truth, come what may. Yes indeed… almost always, the road to sainthood is quite bumpy.

During this time of Advent as we strive to stir up our hearts to welcome our Newborn King and live according to His Way, wouldn’t we do well to think about this: is it possible that we’re more committed to our own narrow vision than to Jesus and the people He loves?

Please, God… deepen our faith and brighten our path.



Today’s Readings:
Isaiah 11, 1–10
Psalm 72
Romans 15, 4–9
Matthew 3, 1–12

(School Homily): Friday, December 3, 2004

I always enjoy the Gospel stories like the one we just heard (Mt 9, 27–31) when Jesus cures people who are sick or handicapped. Today, He heals two blind men. Jesus touches their eyes and they are able to see again!

But then, the Lord says something that sounds peculiar. Did you catch it? He warns them very seriously, no kidding around, “See that no one knows about this.”

They don’t listen to him, but go and blab it all over. But why do you suppose that Jesus wants them to keep quiet about the great blessing He gives them?

The answer is actually hidden in another place in this same Gospel passage. Before healing the two men, Jesus asks them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”

If the men had said, “Not really. Who can give sight back to the blind? But if you want to give it a shot, go ahead”—then Jesus probably would have smiled, shaken His head, and walked away.

But that’s not what happened. When the Lord asked if they believed that He could cure them, they said, “Yes!” without any hesitation. So Jesus touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith”—in other words, if you believe totally, you’ll get your eyesight back totally. And that’s just what happened! The blind men really DID believe!

Now let’s say that you lived in a faraway village and heard all about this mysterious man named Jesus who touched a couple of blind men and gave them back their sight. You might think that He was a magician… or a witch… or a prophet… or something like that. Why, you might even be inclined to run and try to find this Jesus fellow so you could see him perform some impressive trick before your eyes, too.

But that’s not at all what Jesus wanted. He wanted people to believe in the power of God. He wanted them to know that God loves them and cares for them, and to prove it, He would heal them of their illnesses and sufferings and even their sins… not to put on a good show, but as a wonderful sign to confirm their faith.

And that’s why Jesus wanted the men to keep quiet—so people wouldn’t come around looking for magic instead of looking for God.

As you know, we are now in the season of Advent. I know you’ve talked about this in school. Advent is the time of year before Christmas when we’re waiting for Jesus to be born at Christmas.

But Jesus already came, didn’t He? He was born… and lived… and died… 2000 years ago! Why are we pretending that He won’t be here until December 25? Isn’t that a little silly?

Oh no. Not at all.

Just exactly like in the Gospel, Jesus is asking you and me a question: “Do you believe that the Son of God is really coming?”

Some people may say, “Oh yes! I do believe a lot! I do, I do, I do, I do!!”

But other people may be saying, “Well, I don’t know if He’s coming or not… but I sure love Christmas! Lots of presents, lots of parties, a vacation from school, home-baked cookies, and much more!”

Then remember what Jesus told the blind men: “Let it be done for you according to your faith.”

So if you really believe, then Advent is a fantastic time to get your heart ready for Our Savior. You’ll be praying extra hard… you’ll be especially nice and good… you’ll be thinking not so much of the gifts YOU want as the ways you can be generous to others.

But if your faith is weak—like an old flashlight with batteries that are almost dead—then you’re probably more interested in the TV commercials for this year’s hottest toys than you are in letting God love you in really important ways.

And you know what? Even the best toys and Christmas presents don’t satisfy anywhere near as much as Jesus Christ can.

When you go to lunch today, take a look at not just the one, but the TWO long tables outside the cafeteria near the school office—the lost and found tables. Or stop by and ask Mrs. Buesking what else she’s got inside the office lost & found: sweaters, coats, wrist watches, CD players and more. Good stuff. Expensive stuff. Probably some of these things were last year’s Christmas gifts that you couldn’t live without. Now you may not even realize they’re missing!

Today, on this Advent day, let us ask Jesus to fill our hearts with the things that are really important… the things that really matter—starting with a good strong faith.

Come, Lord Jesus. Fill us with your love and your light.