Generation Skipping

Who are our brothers and sisters?

Precision in blood relationships can be technical and complex.

People who are descended from a common ancestor are cousins.

We count the number of generations we skip over from that ancestor to ourselves.

And that tells us what degree of cousin kinship we have.

If our common ancestor is a grandparent, we’re first cousins.

If our common ancestor is a great-grandparent, we’re second cousins.

Two cousins can be from different generations.

In that case, we also note how many generations separate them.

My first cousin’s children are first cousins once removed to me.

My children and my first cousin’s children are second cousins to each other.

If the common ancestor is a parent, we have a special relationship.

We don’t call ourselves zeroth cousins.

We call ourselves brothers and sisters.

In everyday life, we don’t always use precise language for our relationships.

In today’s first reading Paul calls Timothy my dear child.

Though he wasn’t his child.

We often refer to brothers and sisters who technically are not.

We’ve read that Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin.

Even though Mary was a young woman and Elizabeth was an old, barren woman.

Maybe Elizabeth was really her first cousin once removed.

Or second cousin once removed.

Taking the Bible literally,

We’re all cousins through Adam and Eve and Noah and – Mrs. Noah.

A young friend of mine had a new job teaching 3rd Grade.

One day her class read a story about a family.

And she decided to follow it up with a little writing exercise.

So she told them to each list their family members.

And to write down something they enjoyed doing with their family.

The kids started writing and thinking.

But in just a few minutes a few of them were raising their hands.

Miss Jackson, is Sarah part of my family.

She’s really just my mother’s boyfriend’s daughter.

But we share a bedroom at my house.

Does that make her one of my family?

Another asked:

Miss Jackson, when my parents got divorced my brother moved away to North Carolina.

To live with my Grandma.

He doesn’t live with me, so should I still count him as one of my family?

Miss Jackson got a half-dozen different questions like that.

About half-sisters and step-brothers.

Adopted brothers and foster parents.

Jesus avoids all the complication.

He makes being a member of his family simple.

He says, Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

And God’s will doesn’t set the bar unreachably high.

He wills that we do something that he has given all of us the ability to do

Something that isn’t always easy, but is always within our ability.

He wills that we love each other.

That we try our best to fit into His family.

Like the best of brothers and sisters, sons and daughters.

Jesus doesn’t want to regard us by our earthly blood relationship.

His cousins hundreds of times removed.

He calls us by our spiritual relationship to him.

Children of the same Father.

Brothers and Sisters.

3rd Tuesday Ordinary Time

Mk 3:31-35     Read this Scripture @usccb.org

Day by Day

Prove to me that you’re Divine.

Change my water into wine.

That’s all you need do, then I’ll know it’s all true.

Come on, King of the Jews.

Those are Herod’s imagined mocking words when Pilate sends Jesus to him for judgement.

From Tim Rice’s lyrics in Jesus Christ Superstar.

That’s all you need do and I’ll know it’s all true.

Changing water into wine may not have been Jesus’ most impressive miracle.

But it was his first miracle of his ministry.

And it was enough to convince his disciples at the wedding.

It might have been enough for Herod—if Jesus had chosen to perform for him.

We probably don’t really have to rank miracles by order of impressiveness.

Any sign of mastery over nature, any supernatural act, ought to be sufficient.

Whether it’s healing, raising from the dead, driving out demons, multiplying loaves,

Calming the sea, walking on water, or changing water into wine.

If it's performed by a good person and it’s not just a trick.
It’s a sure sign that God is with that person.

That we ought to listen to them and follow them.

What sign is enough for you?

Why do you believe in Jesus?

What do you believe about Jesus?

How firmly do you believe it?

It would be a big plus if he’d stop by and perform a miracle or two for us.

That would help squelch those occasional doubts that can pop up.

We all like certainty.

Especially regarding matters that are most important in our lives.

In a search for truth, we’d all like to have absolute proof.

But absolute proof is usually hard to come by.

Our legal system recognizes that, and deals with it by setting different standards of proof.

Convicting someone of a crime requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Winning a civil suit requires proof by a preponderance of the evidence.

The higher the level of proof, the more comfortable we can be that we’ve found the truth.

Then again, sometimes we seem quite content to just jump to a conclusion.

Easily accept something as truth because it fits nicely with our world view.

Or our political view.

Or our prejudices.

Sometimes we just accept what we’re told by some source that we’ve chosen to trust.

Chosen wisely or unwisely.

When we can’t determine an absolute truth through observation or reason,

Trust becomes a key consideration.

But who can we trust?

Specific others?  Ourselves—our own instincts?

How much do we trust them?

Should we continue to trust them?

What facts support or contradict what they’re telling us?

Some of us have seen healings and conversions and answers to prayers,

That must have been miraculous.

We all witness the miraculous transubstantiation of the bread and wine at Mass.

But few of us, if any, have witnessed an absolute, sensory-verifiable, miracle.

Like the changing of water into wine at Cana.

So, much of our understanding of Jesus and belief in Jesus is based on trust.

We’ve chosen to trust those who brought us to Jesus; for most of us our parents.

We’ve chosen to trust the Church.

The Church today, and the Church back to when Jesus instituted it 2,000 years ago.

We’ve chosen to trust the witness of billions of Christians who have gone before us.

We’ve chosen to trust our own instincts.

We’ve chosen to trust God.

All of that trust is aided by our partial proofs and by reason.

But it’s primarily supported by faith.

The gift of faith.

A gift we should nurture with daily attention and prayer.

A little attention as the events of our days unfold.

And a little special attention.

A little time set aside to talk to and listen to this Jesus we’re trying to follow.

To consider and review and assess the proofs that we do have.

To appreciate the people we can trust, and those gifts of reason and faith.

Time for getting to know him.

Getting to understand him.

Learning to follow him.

That daily exercise is nicely summed up in another verse,

Lyrics from another popular-culture musical about Jesus—Godspell.

Day by day, day by day,

Oh, Dear Lord, three things I pray.

To see Thee more clearly.

Love Thee more dearly,

Follow Thee more nearly.

Day by day.

Herod's Song

Day by Day

2nd Sunday Ordinary Time

Jn 2:1-11     Read this Scripture @usccb.org

Feed Them Yourself

Our Gospel tells of Jesus feeding thousands with just a few loaves and fishes.

This is of course a miracle, but it's also a foreshadowing of the Eucharist.

Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper are very similar to those in this passage.

As are the priest’s at every Mass.

… looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples.

These are familiar actions and words.

And we know that the offering is more than just the physical food.

That the food is a symbol of Jesus offering his whole self.

We hear: This is my body and This is my blood.

And know that the bread and wine have passed beyond the symbolic stage.

And have actually been transformed in substance.

We experience this miracle often, many of us daily.

So, even though we can’t explain it, we’re familiar and comfortable with it.

But today’s Gospel passage also raises a less familiar aspect.

The disciples tell Jesus that the crowd’s hungry.

And Jesus responds, Give them some food yourselves.

The disciples have no idea how to do that.

But with Jesus’ guidance they do actively contribute to the feeding.

They scout up the five loaves and two fishes.

They distribute the miraculously-multiplying food to the crowd of thousands.

And they collect the leftovers.

That idea of active contribution is also carried into our Eucharistic celebration.

We bring our gifts to the altar.

We bring the gifts of bread and wine—the works of human hands.

But at that point they’re already taking on added symbolic meaning.

They represent all the gifts that all of us offer at that moment.

Then we each join in praying that the gift we chose to offer may be acceptable to God.

We also add a few drops of water, symbolizing ourselves, into the wine.

And pray: By the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ,

Who humbled himself to share in our humanity.

So, before consecration, the bread and wine are already symbolic of much more.

And already mingled with the gift each of us is offering.

It’s only after all that is prepared that we move on to the consecration.

Where those already-symbolic gifts are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ.

So, we’re not only fed, but like those early disciples we actively contribute to the feeding.

Whatever gift we choose to offer gets incorporated into that body and blood of Christ.

At every Mass when the gifts are presented at the altar,

We each have an important decision to make.

How much of myself will I offer today?

Tuesday After Epiphany

Mk 6:34-44     Read this Scripture @usccb.org 

Knock Knock (2)

Advent is almost over.

Just five more days ‘til Christmas (Vigil).

And on this Last Sunday of Advent,

There’s a very noticeable theme in our liturgy.

The classic advent theme – the coming.

And the preparation for our role in the coming – the receiving.

Our scriptural readings and liturgical prayers speak of coming.

We sang Savior of the Nations Come as our entrance hymn.

We’ll sing O Come O Come Emanuel as our recessional hymn.

We ask Jesus—God—to come to us.

But do we really expect Him to come?

Why should He?

Who are we?  Are we so special, that he should come to us?

That’s the gist of Elizabeth’s thoughts when she sees Mary approaching.

So, how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord

Should come to me?

Her words show that Elizabeth is a humble woman.

And not with just a casual or insincere sense of humility.

She recognizes an undeserved honor when she sees one.

And, from Elizabeth’s perspective, it is surprising.

She’s just an old woman in a remote hill country.

Someone accustomed to being in the background.

Yet Mary came.

Because she sensed the need and because she too was humble.

Not thinking of herself as someone too important to pitch in and help her elder cousin.

No doubt, Mary also wanted to see the sign that the angel had given her.

And indeed, just as Gabriel had said, she found old Elizabeth nearing time to give birth.

Mary had already believed the angel and had already consented to her role.

But she must have felt some added confidence when she saw Elizabeth.

And she must have been pleased that Elizabeth immediately knew about Jesus.

Seeing that knowledge just come to Elizabeth upon her arrival.

And seeing it just come to John upon his somehow sensing that Jesus was near.

More signs from the Spirit assuring Mary that God was still with her.

Some scholars speculate that Joseph accompanied Mary on the journey.

Elizabeth’s condition and her greeting would greatly reinforce his faith too.

But to a great extent this coming, this Visitation, this little advent,

Is about Mary recognizing Elizabeth’s need,

And coming to help her.

And about Jesus coming with her, because he knew our needs.

Advent is all about Jesus’ coming.

Humbly coming to our world, and coming to each of us.

Just as he came to Mary.

And to Elizabeth.

And to John.

So as we celebrate his coming to our world 2000 years ago.

We also ask him to come to us individually.

Come to save us from whatever is causing us great distress.

Come to free us from whatever has a hold on us

Come to help us through the storms of life.

And there are plenty of storms in the world around us today.

Not to mention our personal inner storms.

So we ask, though we may not fully expect him to come.

We’re not sure he’ll listen to us.

But like Elizabeth, we are more special than we realize.

He thinks we’re special

We’re special to him.

And he knows our needs.

And so he did come.

And he does come.

And he will come again.

The question isn’t, Will he come?

It’s, Will we be ready?  Will we hear him when he comes?

We’re all another year older than we were last Advent.

A lot has happened since then.

We’re not exactly the same people as we were a year ago.

So in these final days of Advent we can prepare to receive him anew.

And to give him a better reception than ever before.

Jesus is always ready to come to us again.

He’s always offering to come closer.

To be part of us in new and deeper ways.

But we don’t always receive him.

He’s not always obvious; he’s not pushy.

It’s a lot like the Bethlehem scene here in the mural behind our St Joseph’s altar.

There’s knocking at the door, and Jesus is out there, but no one answers.

In our final preparation, let’s listen for him.

Let’s take to heart those simple but powerful words of Paul.

Not St Paul. 

Sir Paul …  McCartney.

Someone's knockin' at the door
Somebody's ringin' the bell.
Do me a favor,
Open the door, let 'em in.

4th Sunday of Advent

Lk 1:39-45    Read this Scripture @usccb.org

You Turn

Sometimes you give the right answer and it gets you into trouble.

Back in high school we took some standardized national tests.

And I had most of the right answers—I scored really well.

But instead of congratulating me, the principal called my parents in for a meeting.

He wanted to know,

If you can do so well on this test, why aren’t you at the top in your classwork?

The priests and the elders in today’s Gospel didn’t get congratulated either.

Jesus asks them which of two sons does their father’s will.

The one who defiantly says he won’t do it, but later changes his mind and does it.

Or the one who agreeably says he will do it, but doesn’t follow through.

The priests and elders answer correctly.

And their reward?  A scolding.

Jesus tells them, 

Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you.

It wasn’t a particularly difficult question.

But their correct answer highlighted the fact that

They understood human behavior.

That they knew they had the option to change their minds—change their hearts.

That they knew a change of mind could be the right thing to do, a good thing to do.

Getting the right answer wasn’t difficult for them.

It showed it was easily within their powers of observation and awareness analysis.

And yet, they hadn’t used those powers to make this most critical decision—

Their assessment of John the Baptist and Jesus himself.

They had made up their minds against John and Jesus.

And even when they saw many others embracing John and Jesus, 

They wouldn’t reconsider.

They weren’t open to changing their minds or their hearts.

Like the first son, they defiantly refused.

Even though God was asking them to change their minds.

Quite directly and quite literally—Jesus, God Himself, was calling them.

But they resisted and wouldn’t recognize his voice.

And unlike the first son, they would not change.

If we listen, we can all hear things that God is calling us to do—

Things big and small.

But we resist, through either defiance or inattention.

We question whether that voice is actually God calling.

In effect, we’ve decided not to do it.

This Advent, let’s listen carefully and let’s change our minds wherever necessary.

Or we can just hop in line with the priests and elders.

Way back there behind the tax collectors and prostitutes.

Tuesday, 3rd Week of Advent

Mt 21:28-32     Read this Scripture @usccb.org 

The Most Powerful Woman

It’s been over 40 years now.

But a football play from December 23, 1972 

Is still often ranked as the greatest ever.

It was the NFL playoff game, in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers were trailing the Raiders by one point with only 30 seconds left.

In what could be the last play of the game,

Steeler quarterback Terry Bradshaw was under heavy pressure 
And scrambled around.

He finally fired a desperate pass to a receiver in the middle of the field.

But it struck an oncoming Raider defender and rocketed 

Back toward the line of scrimmage.

A quick handed rookie named Franco Harris grabbed it before it hit the ground.

And he ran it all the way in for a touchdown.

And a Steeler victory.

The crowd went wild, and the TV announcer called it the Christmas Miracle.

Later that evening a Pittsburgh sports reporter 

Coined the now-famous name for that play.

The Immaculate Reception.

His clever pun on the name of Feast we celebrate today

Introduced an indirect Marian reference into our popular culture.

And a few years later Roger Staubach added the Hail Mary pass.

Who knows, maybe there’s a little evangelistic benefit there.

Maybe now and then a fan stops to think about the source of those phrases.

This month Mary picked up a little more attention in our secular culture.

National Geographic Magazine put her on the cover.

With the title, Mary, the Most Powerful Woman in the World.

(And National Geographic will air a show about her on December 13^th.)

The Catholic Church has always held Mary in the highest esteem.

So do Muslims.

Although they don’t recognize her as the Mother of God, as we do.

This Feast we celebrate today, The Immaculate Conception, 

Dates back only to 1854.

When Pope Pius IX officially declared 

What the Church had held from the earliest days.

That, from her very conception, Mary has always been without sin.

That she never sinned in her life, and that she was born free of original sin.

At the instant of her conception in the womb of her mother, St Anne,

God intervened and prevented her from inheriting the stain of Original Sin.

The Bible doesn’t state this explicitly, but it does support it.

And the belief and the teaching go all the way back 

To the early Fathers of the Church.

Over the centuries, different feasts have been celebrated 

In different parts of the world.

All recognizing Mary’s sinless perfection.
Pius IX merely confirmed the belief as dogma, and gave the feast a new name.

God planned to send His perfect Son into the world.

A Son never to be touched by sin.

And God knew that He would send him through Mary.

Mary had a choice, as we heard in our Annunciation Gospel today.

But back when Mary was conceived by Anne, 
God already knew  that she would say Yes.

And so, He exempted her from sin as well.

So that his Son, who would be human in every way except for sin,

Would have that perfect, sinless host to receive him.

The Immaculate Conception prepared Mary for her later reception of Jesus.

And her Yes at the Annunciation completed that reception.

So the football punsters were not far off target in coining their term.

If we were to give a new formal name to that Annunciation Yes,

We might call it the true Immaculate Reception.

Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Lk 1:26-38     Read this Scripture @usccb.org 

One People #2

<Opening Presentation to Interfaith Thanksgiving Service>

As we gather to give thanks in this Interfaith Service, 

It’s clear from the very name

That we’ve made our spiritual homes in different faith communities. 

For many of us the choice was made for us, by our birth into a particular family. 

For all of us, we firmly believe that our own particular faith is the right faith,

Or we would have moved on. 

But we also believe in religious tolerance,

And we believe in loving our brothers and sisters regardless of their religious beliefs

—and even if they have no religious beliefs. 

What I’d like to read for you are excerpts

from a Catholic document regarding different groups within the People of God.

It came out of a worldwide meeting of bishops in 1964—the Second Vatican Council. 

So it is, of course, written from the Catholic perspective.                                                                                                                       

But I think if you reorder the groups according to your own perspective,

You’ll see it’s a good expression of an interfaith spirit

and a hope for a common spiritual home that we can all share.

The document is called Lumen Gentium, Latin for The Light of the Nations.

Its official title is the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.

And the section I’m quoting from is titled The People of God:

It says:

At all times and in every race

God has given welcome to whosoever [respects] Him 

and does what is right.

God, however, does not make men holy and save them 

merely as individuals,

without bond or link between one another.

Rather has it pleased Him to bring men together as one people,

a people which acknowledges Him in truth 

and serves Him in holiness.

Though there are many nations there is but one people of God,

which takes its citizens from every race,

making them citizens of a kingdom

which is of a heavenly rather than of an earthly nature.   

And there belong to or are related to it in various ways,

the Catholic faithful,

all who believe in Christ,

and indeed the whole of mankind,

for all men are called by the grace of God to salvation.

They are fully incorporated in the society of the Church who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept her entire system 

and all the means of salvation given to her. 

The Church recognizes that in many ways 

she is linked with those who,

being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian,

though they do not profess the faith in its entirety

or do not preserve unity with the [Church of Rome].

They share with us in prayer and other spiritual benefits.

We can say that in some real way 

they are joined with us in the Holy Spirit,

for to them too He gives His gifts and graces.

Finally, those who have not yet received the Gospel

are related in various ways to the people of God.

In the first place we must recall the [Jewish] people

to whom the testament and the promises were given

and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh.

[This] people remains most dear to God,

for God does not repent of the gifts He makes 

nor of the calls He issues.

But the plan of salvation also includes 

those who acknowledge the Creator.

In the first place amongst these there are the Mohamedans,

who, professing to hold the faith of Abraham,

along with us adore the one and merciful God.

Nor is God far distant from those who in shadows and images

seek the unknown God,

for it is He who gives to all men life and breath and all things,

and as Savior wills that all men be saved.

Those also can attain to salvation who 

through no fault of their own

do not know the Gospel of Christ...,

yet sincerely seek God

and ... strive by their deeds to do His will

as it is known to them through the dictates of conscience.

Nor does Divine Providence deny the helps necessary for salvation to those who, without blame on their part, 

have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God 

[yet] strive to live a good life.