Homily for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A - Given at Cronulla.

Readings: Zeph 2:3, 3: 12-13; I Cor 1: 26-31; Matt 5:1-12

 

"There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways." These are the opening lines of the "Didache" a first century Christian catechism used to teach new Christians the essence of the Christian faith. “There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death.”  The way of life is the way of Jesus, and Jesus leads us towards heaven, towards eternal life.

 

The Beatitudes are often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, but they are almost surely a collection of Jesus’ teachings rather than a sermon delivered in one sitting.  Both the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew and the Sermon on the Plain in Luke, could be referred to as “The Compendium of Christian Doctrine,” or maybe if they were at the beginning of the Gospels we could call it the “Preamble to the Gospels.” The Beatitudes sum up what it means to be a follower of Christ.

 

Some people think that the Beatitudes replace the Ten Commandments, but as Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his recent book Jesus of Nazareth, “Jesus always presupposed the validity of the Ten Commandments … (and) Jesus has no intention of abolishing them.”^[1]

 

The Beatitudes “describe what might be called the actual condition (or characteristics) of Jesus disciples. They are poor, hungry, weeping men, they are hated and persecuted.”

 

In the Beatitudes the “standards of the world are turned upside down”^[2] and a image of Christ can be seen. The Beatitudes are “a road map for the Church” says Pope Benedict, and they give directions for discipleship.

 

The first beatitude is “How happy are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Most people in our world today view poverty as a bad thing, as an evil, and as something we should work towards ending. But Christ is telling us that poverty is a good thing. Pope Benedict says that “Purely Material poverty does not bring salvation.”^[3] Where a person is forced to live in material poverty, where a person is plunged into extremely difficult situations, due to an unjust socio-political situation, then as Christians we should have compassion on them. Their poverty is not their choice and we should help them. We should help those who are not able to help themselves. We should people to make a choice.

 

Only a few saints, such as St Francis of Assisi, chose the sufferings and hardships that material poverty brings.  Perhaps what Christ is really telling us is that we should work to improve the conditions of the poor in order for the poor to have a choice.  They have the right to choose whether or not to embrace God as the most important thing in their life, rather than having poverty thrust upon them by the circumstances of life.

 

Last week I talked about “repentance” and about how we need to let go and allow God to take control of our lives. A person who is poor in spirit allows God to be the focus. A person who is poor in spirit will be able to survive and in fact be strengthened in their faith when they are not in control of a situation.

 

Spiritual poverty leads to extreme humility, and extreme humility is above all freedom for service, freedom for mission, and ultimately trust in God, says Pope Benedict.

 

St Paul tells us in his 1^st Letter to the Corinthians that we need “to own goods as if you owned nothing.” (1Cor 7:29) Developing an interior disinterest and detachment towards our possessions and time is essential for an open relationship with Christ. The beatitudes call us to no longer live as who we are, as people living in Cronulla, as people who have control of our lives, but each of us are called to be reborn, totally from and in Christ.

 

To imitate the love and lifestyle of Jesus is not possible in our human nature. When we open our heart to receive the gifts of God’s love, we begin to love in a way that transcends our human nature and makes us more like God.

 

The beatitudes call us to become Christ, to become Christ’s hands and face and feet in the world. Pope Benedict teaches that “the world exists because God wanted to create a zone of response to his love, a zone of obedience and freedom.” ^[4]

 

We use what we have been given according to the good pleasure of God, who is the owner and master of it all. The time, talent and treasure God gives to each person is given to be used for His glory, for my needs, and for the benefit of others. It is not “mine” to do with as I please.

 

In both Matthew and Luke the beatitudes are a “series of bomb shells” or “flashes of lightning followed by thunder of surprise and shock" because Jesus reverses our “natural” assumption that happiness lies in riches, power, pleasure, and comfort.  We believe in personal pride; Jesus blesses poverty of spirit.  We seek pleasure; Jesus blesses those who mourn.  We see the prosperity of aggressive people; Jesus blesses the meek.  We love good food and drink; Jesus blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. He challenges his listeners to find fulfillment of their needs in God in their particular socio-economic context. 

 

 The challenge of the beatitudes is: “Are you going to be happy in the world’s way or in Christ’s way?”  If we choose the world’s way, we are seeking our blessings in the wrong place. Sometimes we think that good health; long life, happy relationships, and a good job are blessings we deserve for being honest, not cheating on our taxes, coming to church, and giving a little to charity.  This is the easy way of the world, but the hard way of Jesus requires toil and suffering by working for the uplift of the poor, the sick and the hungry.  God wants us to live as brothers and sisters who care for one another.  However, it yields an "eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (II Cor. 4:17).  In the final analysis, the blessing of the beatitudes is the possession of “the Kingdom of God."

 

---

^[1] Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, p70.

^[2] Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, p71.

^[3] Pope Benedict, p76.

^[4] Pope Benedict, p83.

Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A. January 27, 2008 - Given at Cronulla.

View the readings: Is 8: 23- 9:3; 1 Cor 1: 10-13, 17; Matt 4: 12-23

 

Three men were pacing nervously outside the delivery room at a hospital when the head nurse came out beaming. 

To the first she said, "Congratulations, sir, you are the father of twins." "Terrific!" said the man, "I just signed a contract to become the distribute for U2 and this'll be great press."

To the second man the nurse said, "Congratulations.  You are the father of healthy triplets!" “Fantastic!" he said.  "I'm the vice-president of the 3-Mobile Network. This'll be great P.R.!"

At that point the third man turned around and ran for the door. "What's wrong, sir?  Where are you going?" called the nurse. As he jumped into his car, the man shouted, "I'm dashing to my office to resign.  I'm the CEO of Channel 7!”

Today’s gospel in the fourth chapter of Matthew prepares us to hear a surprising and shocking announcement by Jesus: “Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.”

The news that the kingdom of heaven is near is shocking news, even for us today. So often people are not prepared for it, are not interested in it, or too busy with something else.

My friends, the Gospel is telling us to get ready: the Kingdom may come at any time. Every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer we say “Thy Kingdom Come” but do we mean what we say? Do we want the Kingdom to come today?

Matthew tells us that the people to whom Jesus brings his ministry have been sitting in darkness, but Jesus' coming has brought them a great light. 

Jesus uses exactly the same words as John the Baptist used:  'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near. “To repent” means that we take a complete change of direction in our lives.  Repentance properly understood is an "I can't" experience rather than an "I can" experience.  If repentance is promising God, "I can do better," then we are trying to keep ourselves in control of our lives.  When we come before God confessing, "I can't do better," then we are dying to self and allowing God to live.  We are giving up control of our lives.  We are throwing our sinful lives at the mercy of God. We are inviting God to do what we can't do ourselves -- namely to raise the dead -- to change and recreate us. 

"Repent" is a verb in the present tense. We are called to "Keep on repenting!"  "Continually be repentant!" Christ understands that we always tempted to take control of our lives. So we are constantly called to die to our selfish desires and to allow God to become our focus. Repentance is the ongoing lifestyle of the people in the kingdom.  “Repentance is letting go, and letting God take control.”

The invitation to come and follow Jesus is an important part of the Christian message. In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls Peter, Andrew, James and John to come and follow him and to become fishers of men.

Last week John the Baptist told us to “Look (and see) the Lamb of God.” Today’s Gospel has Christ inviting the first apostles to follow him.

The role of being a witness is not limited only to Christ, but as members of Christ’s family, we have the mission to tell the world that the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.

We tell others about good restaurants, movies, shops, hairdressers, etc. Why isn't there the same enthusiasm over inviting and encouraging people to come and participate in our Church activities, our Sunday worship, our bible studies, our Lenten programs, our courses and our ministries?

Invitations are important, and the role of inviting people to the Church is not only my responsibility and it is not only Father’s responsibility. The role of talking about the faith, talking about Christ, and bringing Christ to people belongs to each and every one of us. I don’t have the access to talk with your friends, to talk with your colleagues at work, or your associates at the bowls club or the golf club. I represent Christ and his Church, but each and everyone of you also represent Christ and his Church. Each and every one of you is called to be another Christ: calling people to follow in the ways of Christ.

Often we may hesitate to talk about faith or to invite people because we feel that talking about religion is a bad thing in our culture.

Often people think that religion is a private matter and it shouldn't be shared with others.

Other people are scared because they feel they don’t have much of a personal faith to share, or that their knowledge of the faith is not good or that our worship services would not be appealing to non-Catholics because we find it boring ourselves at times.

My friends, our faith should make us want others, our friends and our families, to follow and to see Jesus.

Christ has a mission for each of us. Through prayer and reflection, through discussion with Christ’s community and through an acknowledgement of our God-given talents, we are able to discern the ways in which God is calling us to serve in building his kingdom.

The Kingdom of heaven should be the theme of our preaching and witness. The kingdom of heaven is the place where God rules. 

What should be our response to the coming of heaven's rule?  Surprisingly, it is not worship or praise, but it is repentance.  Perhaps this is the big problem with the coming of Jesus at Christmas or Palm Sunday -- we are tempted and we want to only celebrate and praise, rather than repent and allow Jesus to take control.  In telling us that the kingdom has come near, Jesus is telling us that we can dwell in this kingdom provided we turn away from self centeredness and let God reign in our lives. 

 

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - Jan 20, 2008 - Cronulla

View the readings: Readings: Is 49:3.5-6, 1 Cor: 1-1-3, Jn 1:29-34

Today, the Church returns to wearing green vestments and we are reminded once again about the normality and the routines of life. Even within the day to day grind of life, we are called to look and to see Jesus.

7 weeks ago we started the journey towards Christmas with Advent. In Advent we were called by John the Baptist to “Prepare a way for the Lord” and to “Make straight his path.”

But how much closer are we to preparing the way for Lord? Has anything changed? We have celebrated Christmas, we have celebrated New Years, and shortly school will start again, the holidays will be over, and life will go on as normal.

Have we changed? Have we made any resolutions? Are we more committed to Christ and the journey towards eternal life than we were before Advent began?

 

In Today’s Gospel, John the Baptist points us towards Jesus. He tells us “Look” and says “there is the lamb of God.”

Have we looked for Jesus? Have we seen Jesus in our midst, in our lives and in our families?

There is a famous nursery rhyme that most of us would remember from our childhood days.

It begins: Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb,

Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow.

My friends, this nursery rhyme originated in England during the 16 to 1700s as a tool to explain the faith to children.

It recognises Mary, the mother of Jesus, as having a lamb. It recognises the purity and the whiteness of Jesus the lamb.

          The “Lamb of God” is a title familiar to each us. During every Mass, we proclaim what John the Baptist said through the song: “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us/grant us peace.”

The Lamb of God prayer gives expression to the identity and purpose of Jesus Christ. But what does Lamb of God mean? We say it every Mass? It must be significant, but I know with myself I can sometimes become routine with the prayers at Mass, especially those we say over and over again.

The “Lamb of God” is perhaps the most meaningful title given to Jesus in the Scriptures. It is used 29 times in the Book of Revelation alone. “Lamb of God” sums up the love, sacrifice and the triumph of Christ. It tells us about who Jesus is and his mission and purpose. It refers to sacrificial love, it refers to our salvation and redemption and it refers to Christ’s victory over death.  

 

For the Jewish people (and for us as attentive listens to the Words of the Old Testament): the Lamb of God calls 5 pictures to mind:

1. The Lamb of Atonement (Lev. 16:20-22). This lamb was blessed and the sins of the people were transferred to the lamb by the laying on of hands of the High Priest. Then the lamb was sent into the wild to devoured by wild animals.

2. The Lamb of Daily Atonement (Ex. 29:38-42; Num. 28:1-8) was a lamb which was sacrificed to God every morning and evening to atone, to make up for the sins of the Jews.

3. The Paschal Lamb (Ex.12:11) was the lamb whose blood was placed over the doors of the Jewish families in Egypt to save the people from the ‘Angel of destruction’. This Paschal Lamb also reminds of the Passover. It also reminds of Easter, of Christ’s victory over death through the shedding of his blood.    

4. The Lamb portrayed by the Prophets as the innocent to the slaughter.

5. The Lamb of the Conquerors. On the ancient Jewish flag, at the time of Maccabean liberation war, there was a picture of a horned lamb, used as a sign of a conquering majesty and power. Samuel, David and Solomon were described by the ancient Jewish historians as “horned lambs.” 

 

My friends, Christ is the Lamb of God. The Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament) bears witness to Christ as the Lamb of God. The New Testament, over and over again tells us that Christ is the Lamb of God. Our Christian Tradition and liturgy tells us to pray to Christ under the title of Lamb of God on a daily basis.

Do we, like John the Baptist, see the Lamb of God?

Do we, like John the Baptist, direct others towards the Lamb of God?

Our witness is to proclaim aloud what we have seen and believe. Our witness is to invite others to “Look,” to "come and see."

For John the Baptist, faith begins by responding to the invitation to "come and see."

My friends, we tell others about good restaurants, movies, shops, hairdressers, etc. Why isn't there the same fervour over inviting and encouraging people to come and participate in our Church activities, our Sunday worship, our bible studies, our Lenten programs, our courses and our ministries?

Invitations are important, and the role of inviting people to the Church is not only my responsibility and it is not Father’s responsibility. The role of talking about the faith, talking about Christ belongs to each and every one of you. I don’t have the access to talk with your friends, to talk with your colleagues at work, or your associates at the bowls club or the golf club. I represent Christ and his Church, but each and everyone of you also represent Christ and his Church. Each and every one of you is called to be like John the Baptist: to point the way to Christ.

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that some of us have never invited a friend (Catholic or non-Catholic) to a regular Sunday Mass, or to any program in the parish.

That’s ok. It’s never too late to begin. Perhaps inviting someone to the Church is something we could do this year.

Often we may hesitate to talk about faith or to invite people because we feel that talking about religion is a bad thing in our culture.

Often people think that religion is a private matter and it shouldn't be shared with others.

Other people are scared because they feel they don’t have much of a personal faith to share, or that their knowledge of the faith is not good or that our worship services would not be appealing to non-Catholics because we find it boring ourselves at times.

My friends, our faith should make us want others, our friends and our families, to see Jesus. Do not be afraid to share the message with those we know.

The Lamb of God, the innocent victim sacrificed for us, the Lamb who destroys death and opens eternal life to each of us. Jesus is the Lamb of God who heals our relationships and gives us peace.

My friends, Jesus is what we are looking at. This is what John the Baptist pointed us towards and this is what we should be showing to other people. The world wants healing and peace. Let us offer them the greatest healing possible: Jesus himself.

“Mary had a little lamb, and every where that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.”

Are we willing to take the Lamb of God with us every where we go? Are we willing to be identified as friends of Jesus every moment of our life?

John the Baptist said: “Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”

How will we respond?

 

Homily for the FEAST OF EPIPHANY - January 6, 2008. Cronulla

Readings: Is. 60:1-6; Eph.3: 2-6; Mt. 2: 1-12

My dear friends today we have left our homes and we have come together to visit Christ in Bethlehem a second time. On Christmas day we visited Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus with the shepherds. But today, a few days after Christ’s birth, we make a second visit to the new-born Jesus, this time with the Magi, the Wise Men.

Just over a week ago we celebrated Christmas, and we celebrated the coming of Christ to the Jewish people, symbolised in the coming of the shepherds. Today, we celebrate the coming of Christ to all the people of the world symbolised through the Wise Men.

The word “Epiphany”, which means appearance or manifestation, marks Jesus’ first appearance to the Gentiles. “Epiphany” refers to God’s self-revelation as well as the revelation of Jesus as God’s Son. The Feast predates the celebration of Christmas, having originated in the East in the late 2^nd century. The feast commemorates the coming of the Magi as the first manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles in the Western Church.

The 6^th century Italian tradition says that there were three magi - Caspar, Beltassar, and Melchior, is based on the fact that three gifts are mentioned in Matthew’s gospel: gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Orthodox Church holds that the Magi consisted of twelve kings, corresponding in number to the twelve tribes of Israel.

Commentary on the Torah by Jewish rabbis suggested that a star appeared in the sky at the birth of Abraham, Isaac and Moses. Likewise, in the Book of Numbers, the prophet Balaam speaks of “a star that shall come out of Jacob.” Stars were believed to be signs from God, announcing important events. Thus, the brightness of the light to which kings were drawn became the star in Matthew.

The wise men were guided and directed by the light of the stars. Just over 2000 years ago a group of magi, astronomers, but also perhaps they were kings, merchants, politicians, farmers, intellectuals and the list goes on, but these people noticed an unusual occurrence in God’s creation.

What we do know is that they noticed that a catastrophic event was about to occur and that creation was bearing witness to it.

They left their home lands, presumably with their advisors, their friends, their families, their livestock, their wealth and most likely anyone who was interested in taking the journey of their life.

The wise men would not have only been 3 men, but perhaps thousands of people, men, women, children, animals, a huge caravan full of colour and life. The magi do not only represent three men who brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They represent all people, who give the greatest gift possible to God, the gift of themselves.

Gold, frankincense and myrrh may be thought of as prophesying Jesus’ future, but also telling us about who Jesus actually is. Gold was a gift for kings; frankincense (an ancient air purifier and perfume) was offered to God in temple worship; and myrrh was used by the High Priest as an anointing oil and to prepare bodies for burial. These gifts were not only expensive but were portable.

The Epiphany can be looked on as a symbol for our pilgrimage through life to Christ. The feast invites us to see ourselves as images of the Magi, a people on a journey to Christ. The Magi are a prefigurement of the Church and of the journey towards eternal life. The Gift of Themselves is the greatest gift possible. The gift of ourselves is the greatest gift we are able to give to Christ.

Today’s Gospel tells us the story of the magi's encounter with the evil King Herod. This encounter symbolizes three reactions to Jesus’ birth: hatred, indifference, and adoration. King Herod considered Jesus as a threat to his kingship. The Scribes, Pharisees and the Jewish priests knew that there were nearly 500 prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures concerning the promised Messiah, but they were more interested in their own selfish gains than in discovering and accepting the Messiah.

Then there were those who adored Jesus and offered Him gifts: This group was composed of the shepherds and the Magi. The shepherds offered the only gifts they had: love, tears of joy, and probably woollen clothes and milk from their sheep. The Magi offered gold, in recognition of Jesus as the king; frankincense, in acknowledgment that he was God, and myrrh as a symbol of his human nature.

Let us make sure that we belong with the shepherds and the Magi. Let us worship Jesus every day with the gold of our love, the myrrh of our humility and the frankincense of our adoration. Let us offer our very selves, promising God that we will use His blessings by doing good to our fellow men.

Let us choose a better path for our lives. Just as the Magi chose another route to return to their home, let us choose a better way of life, abstaining from proud and impure thoughts, evil habits and selfish behaviour.

Let us become the Star, leading others to Jesus, as the star led the Magi to Him. We can remove the darkness of evil around us by being at least like candles, radiating Jesus’ love by selfless service, unconditional forgiveness and compassionate care.

Like the Magi, let us offer Jesus our gifts on this feast of Epiphany.

The first gift might be friendship with God. After all, the whole point of Christmas is that God’s son became one of us, to redeem us and call us friends. God wants our friendship in the form of wholehearted love and devotion.

A second gift might be friendship with others. This kind of friendship can be costly. The price it exacts is vulnerability and openness to others. The good news, however, is that in offering friendship to others; we will receive back many blessings.

A third gift might be the gift of reconciliation. This is the gift of repairing damaged relationships. It requires honesty, humility, understanding, forgiveness and patience.

The fourth gift of this season is the gift of peace: seeking God’s peace in our own lives through prayer, sacramental life and daily meditation on the Word of God.

What can I give him, poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd, I could give a Lamb.

If I were a wise man, I could do my part.

What can I give Him? I can give Him my heart.

Homily for the FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY - Cronulla, December 30th, 2008.

On the last Sunday of the year, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. By celebrating the Sunday following Christmas as the Feast of the Holy Family, the Church encourages us to look to Jesus, Mary and Joseph for inspiration, example and encouragement in our daily lives. Christmas, and the days following the Lord’s birth, are important moments for the family. Families are important, but lets be honest, we don’t choose who our brothers and sisters are.

Christmas and New Year’s can be a time of great joy for a family, but it also can be a time when families can get on each other’s nerves.

Families are important and it is important that we spend time with our children, with our siblings, our parents and so on.

There was young boy who greeted his father as he returned from work with a question: “Daddy, how much do you make an hour?” The father was surprised and said: “Look, son, not even your mother knows. Don’t bother me now, I’m tired.” “But Daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour?” the boy insists. The father finally gives up and replies: “Twenty dollars.” “Okay, Daddy,” the boy continues, “Could you loan me ten dollars?” The father yells at him: “So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Now, go to sleep and don’t bother me anymore!” At night the father thinks over what he said and starts feeling guilty. Maybe his son needed to buy something. Finally, he goes to his son's room. “Are you asleep, son?” asks the father. “No, Daddy. Why?” The father replies. “Here's the money you asked for earlier.” “Thanks, Daddy!” replies the boy and receives the money. Then he reaches under his pillow and brings out some more money. “Now I have enough! Now I have twenty dollars!” says the boy to his father, “Daddy, could you sell me one hour of your time?”

Today’s gospel has a message for this man and for all of us, and the message is that we need to invest more of our time in our family. How much one on one time do we spend with our children, chatting with them, hearing their stories and sharing our wisdom?

In Italy, there is a cultural battle between those from the north and those from the south. Those in the south often say that they “work to live”, while the productive north say that the “live to work.”

Life must be about more than work. It must be about more than ourselves.

Mary and Joseph were a model family in which both parents placed the family before themselves. They placed the family interests before their work. Joseph was a carpenter and probably had his own workshop in Nazareth before Jesus was born, but he walked away from it all for the security and safety of his family.

Mary and Joseph worked hard, helped, understood and accepted each other, and took good care of their child so that he might grow up not only in human knowledge but also as a child of God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2223) gives the following advice to parents: "Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule.”

Do we have homes of forgiveness or are our homes like a court room, with judges and sentences. If the husband and wife start arguing like lawyers, in an attempt to justify their behaviour and to show who is right or wrong, then the family becomes a court of law and nobody wins. On the other hand, if the husband and the wife - as in a confessional - are ready to admit their faults and try to correct them, the family becomes a heavenly one.

My friend there are three ingredients needed to make Christ present in our families. The same three ingredients make Jesus present here in this church, on this very altar. Jesus becomes truly present in the parish church through sacrifice, celebration and thanksgiving. Similarly, Jesus becomes truly present in a family when all the members live in the Christian spirit of sacrifice, celebration and thanksgiving.

How often do we say to ourselves, today I am going to give one hour undivided attention to my child, despite how boring it may be.

How often do we sit down for dinner with the family and let the children talk about their hopes and dreams and take a real interest in them.

How often do we thank our children for their smile, for their laughter and for their joy.

My friends, when we live sacrifice, celebration and thanksgiving, then Christ is present in our midst.

A different way of putting this is to say that we need a mutual understanding, support and respect for all in our families. There needs to be proper care and respect given by children to their parents and grandparents even after the children have left home. One of the commandments is “honour your father and your mother.” However parents must firstly show respect, support, understanding and honour to their children. When parents consistently take an interest in the life of their children, especially their adult-children, the children will learn to take an interest in others, and thus learn to develop and contribute to the family relationship and to nourish and contribute to society.

The family is the place where children first learn to understand and live in a community. When children see personal interest as more important than the family, then they will learn to view personal interest as more important than anything in the community. When children grow up in a family which understands its position as the domestic Church, then children learn to understand that relationship and faith in God is an essential part of who we are, not simply something we do at the church building.

On the Feast Day of the only perfect family that ever lived on this earth, all parents are encouraged to examine themselves and see how they are fulfilling the responsibility which God has placed on them.. Let us pray for the grace of truly caring for one another in our own families, for each member of the parish family, and for all families throughout the world. May God bless all your families in the New Year with peace, joy and happiness.

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent - Mass with the WYD Cross - Cronulla parish, 22nd December, 2007.

View the readings

Christmas is the season of dreams. It is a time for happiness, for joy and for peace.

Today’s Gospel tells us the story of the dream of Joseph. Joseph in fact had three dreams which are documented in the Gospels.

In each instance, the angel calls Joseph to action and Joseph obeys. In this first instance, the angel commands Joseph to take Mary as his wife.   In 2:13, the angel will tell Joseph to take the mother and child to Egypt to escape Herod's wrath.  In 2:19, the angel will, at the death of Herod, tell Joseph to return to Israel. 

 

Joseph received the news of the pregnancy of Mary. For Joseph, he would have heartbroken. Mary was meant to be his wife, but in all worldly and scientific reasoning, Joseph would have been forgiven for thinking that Mary had been unfaithful, that Mary had become pregnant from another man.

 

But Joseph receives the message of the angel concerning Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph then has to make an act of faith. Faith my friends has two dimensions. Firstly it requires the action of God, through his Word, through his people in the world and through events that occur. But it also requires an act of our will. Each of us has to choose to believe.

 

Don’t expect to always have all the answers in life. If we had all the answers then we wouldn’t need to make a choice – the answer would be obvious.

 

Christ is real. The cross is a sign that Christ is real. It is a sign that Christ, that God became man, that Jesus Christ died and that Jesus has risen to glory. But the cross is not going to force you into believing in it.

 

The cross is an opportunity for us to make an Act of Faith.

To say: Jesus I believe you are real. Jesus I believe that you became a man, that you died and rose and that you have risen to glory, opening heaven and offering a place for me.

 

Tonight is an opportunity to receive Jesus in to your heart.

 

With the cross, with belief in Christ, people will not look at you the same.

People will not look at us the same.

 

Do not be afraid.

 

We are here in this church, three days before Christmas, because like Joseph, we are faithful and we trust in God.   We don’t rely on ourselves; we rely on God’s power and God’s mercy.  Today many of us have lifted up the cross – the image of Christ’s salvation for us. But it is the cross that lifts us up daily. It is the cross that helps us to walk on our journey towards meaning, towards peace and towards eternal life.

 

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent Year A - 8th December, 2007 - Bundeena parish

Readings: Is 11: 1-10; Rom 15: 4-9; Mt 3: 1-12.

View the readings

 

What do people think about when they think of the days before Christmas? Perhaps it is Shopping, Christmas parties, Decorating the house and garden with lights, cooking, Random-breath testing, the incredible cost of Christmas and the holidays, perhaps it is Christmas Cake and maybe cricket. But as you all know, Advent is a month for preparing for Christmas, preparing for the Coming of the Lord into our world.

 

Today’s readings remind us that when we allow the Spirit of God to govern and guide us, we will be able to live lives of integrity and prepare the way for the Lord's second coming.

 

In today’s gospel, John the Baptizer, when confronting the Pharisees and Sadducees, urged them to reform their lives so as to recognize and accept the promised messiah. John’s preaching was a call to repentance, conversion and renewal.  He told these people - who were filled with expectation that the Messiah was near - to act with justice and charity, letting their lives reflect the transformation that would occur when the messiah would enter their lives and enter into the world.  In the same way, as we prepare to welcome Christ at Christmas, John advises us to "prepare the way of the Lord."

 

But how do we prepare for the kingdom of heaven. How do we prepare the way of the Lord?

 

While only two gospels mention the story of the nativity, all the four Gospels introduce Jesus with an account of John the Baptist's ministry (Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:1-22; John 1:6-9). Matthew, in today’s Gospel, puts slightly greater emphasis on John's words than on his action of baptizing. Matthew gives us a direct quote from John’s preaching: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."

 

When John the Baptist was preaching, there had been no prophet in Israel for four hundred years, but the people had no hesitation in accepting John as a prophet because he was like a burning torch summoning men to righteousness, a signpost to point humanity towards God, and he had the authority of a man of God.

 

Call to repentance:

 John's message was not soothing.  It cut into the very hearts of men.  The Greek philosopher Diogenes once said, "He who never offends anyone, never does anyone any good."  John denounced evil wherever he found it.  He accused Herod of loose moral life (14:4), addressed the Scribes and the Pharisees as "brood of vipers" and summoned people to righteousness. Sometimes the message of Christ can offend people – the good news calls people to change their lives.

 

 Literally the Greek word for repentance (metanoeo) means, "to change one's mind." Repentance involves turning around, facing in a new direction, a change of heart, a new commitment, walking in a different direction.  Repentance is a daily experience that renews our baptism.  “The repentant person comes before God saying, "I can't do it myself, God.  Let me die and give me new life.” At Baptism we died to ourselves and rose again. The repentant person asks the Lord to renew our baptism, giving us death, burial and resurrection to new life."  Repentance for us is not a one-time action we do at our First Confession, nor is it an action that we do only until our first Communion or Confirmation, but we must repent daily, because preparing for the Lord is a perpetual task. 

 

 A call for a change of life.

 John the Baptist, the stern and uncompromising preacher, challenges our superficial attempts at change, demanding that we take a deeper look at ourselves.  Obeying the commandments and the beatitudes is a good start, but we must also examine our relationships with others.  We must mend divisions and conflicts, face family responsibilities, work honestly, and treat employees justly.  John the Baptist tells us to start where we are: He tells us to “Come as we are” – bringing with us our personal stories and histories.  Our domestic and social lives must be put in order if we are to be repentant. Reconciliation does not only mean saying “sorry” but it means making a change – going in a different direction. 

John's voice is sober and runs counter to the intoxicating voices around us today.   He calls for integrity and social consciousness.  We must abandon our selfish thirst for consumption, and instead, be filled with the expectation of Jesus' coming.

 

An Advent project is to be alert and watchful in the spirit of today’s gospel.  Every morning when you get up, pray, “Lord, show me someone today with whom I may share your love, mercy and forgiveness.”  Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta once said, "Whatever you do in your family, for your children, for your husband, for your wife, you do for Jesus."  Every night when you go to bed, ask yourself, “Where have I found Christ today?” If you do this everyday, the answer will be God’s Advent gift for you that day. By being alert and watchful you’ll be getting an extra gift at Christmas this year: You will receive Christ himself. 

 

Advent is the time for this preparation, by repenting of our sins, renewing our lives by prayer, penance, preparing the way for the Lord, and sharing our blessings with others.  Let us remember the words of Alexander Pope: "What does it profit me if Jesus is reborn in thousands of cribs all over the world and not reborn in my heart”?  It means that Jesus must be reborn in our hearts, during this season of Advent, and every day of our lives. Jesus is to be reborn as love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, generosity and the spirit of humble service.

 

Following John's advice, let us celebrate the memory of this first advent, prepare for Jesus’ second advent in our daily lives, and wait for his glorious advent at the end of the world.