Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - Christmas December 24, 2024

On behalf of Father Aristotle, Father Mauro, Mrs. Edwards, and all the dedicated the folks who keep our church and school running so beautifully, may God grant you a joyous, blessed, and faith-filled Christmas! We thank God that He so loved the world that He gave us His Son nearly 2000 years ago!

Today, as we look back at our Savior’s birth and look forward to His return, we might consider how wonderfully disruptive that first Christmas was. Nothing about the Christmas story is normal, natural, or expected. The incarnation completely upended Mary’s and Joseph’s quiet lives and forced them to give up all that they had planned. The angels told the shepherds to go on a journey that they were not planning. An “unexpected” Messiah and a “new” covenant challenged many of the rules and practices of the “chosen people” and their leaders. Since Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Christmas has continued to turn people’s worlds upside down.

As we celebrate Christmas in today’s world, we are also disrupted, not so much by the birth of our Lord, but by the “earthly” priorities of the season. We are consumed with decorating, card sending, shopping, wrapping, entertaining, traveling, cooking, baking, eating, and drinking. As we strive to meet the expectations and priorities of this world, we often fail to take the time to recognize our Lord's presence.

The shepherds, on the other hand, were open to the mysterious and exciting message of the angels that, “today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” They could have easily said that they were too busy minding their sheep to go off on an adventure searching for a newborn infant. Yet, they dropped everything and headed to Bethlehem. Are we willing to drop everything to follow Jesus and to face the disruption that occurs when we make Jesus our priority?

The great gift of Christmas – Jesus Christ – has been causing disruption since He was born in that stable nearly 2000 years ago. This Christmas, long after the tree is down, the relatives have returned home, and the cookies are gone, the joy of the season will remain in us if we allow the infant Jesus to disrupt our lives and we make Him our priority.

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - December 22, 2024

“At the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.”

Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent. Very soon, we will experience the joy of the coming of our Lord. This is the same joy that John the Baptist experienced in his mother’s womb.

There is a difference between happiness and joy. Happiness tends to be a temporary feeling in the mind; joy is long-term feeling in the soul. Happiness depends on and reacts to circumstances – we look for someone or something to “make us happy.” Joy comes from within, can endure hardship, and can exist even when there is difficulty or uncertainty.

My grandmother was a great example of joy. Despite losing a four-year-old son, losing her husband after only 20 years of marriage, losing an adult daughter, and living her whole life with little more than a roof over her head, she was one of the most joyful people I have ever known. I think the reason that my grandmother was so joyful is that she lived in the moment. Instead of dwelling on the difficulties that she faced in her past life, she took joy in each new day and each new encounter. Her joy came from within, she did not sit there waiting for others to make her happy.

After John the Baptist “leaped for joy” in his mother’s womb, he spent his adult life joyfully preparing the way for Jesus by preaching the coming of the Kingdom of God. He never lost the joy of that earliest encounter with Jesus when each was in his mother’s womb and he worked tirelessly to share that joy. We, too, are invited to witness to our faith joyfully. As Pope Francis once remarked, “I cannot imagine a Christian who does not know how to smile.” He went on to remind us that: “The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.”

In these final days before Christmas, when we may be overwhelmed by last minute preparations, let’s not forget to be joyful. Let’s live in the moment joyfully praising God, grateful for all that He has given us. Most importantly, as we encounter Jesus this Christmas and each day thereafter, let’s be sure to always “leap for joy.”

Fr. Mike

Fr. Mike's Gospel Reflection - December 15, 2024

Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!

These words are from Paul’s letter to the Philippians which he wrote while he was in prison. In fact, the word “rejoice” appears 17 times in various forms throughout the short letter. Paul was not a naïve optimist; he obviously knew real suffering. Somehow, however, Paul was joyful despite the intense unhappiness of imprisonment.

The Third Sunday of Advent, or “Gaudete Sunday,” is all about joy in the midst of darkness. “Gaudete” means “rejoice.” Halfway through Advent, we rejoice. The color changes from purple to rose, from dark to light. The priest wears rose-colored vestments and we light a cheerful rose-colored candle on the Advent wreath. We are reminded that the darkness of sin and death in this world is a temporary condition. We are reminded that, soon, light will come to dispel the darkness. We are joyful because we know that our waiting will not be in vain.

In fact, “Gaudete” is the form of the word which commands us to rejoice. Against the backdrop of heartbreaking news of war around the world and violence in our own country, we may not feel like rejoicing. Of course, there are sad headlines on Gaudete Sunday, and every other day. Our celebration this week (and at Christmas) is a countercultural declaration that even in sadness, we rejoice because our hope is in the One who is stronger than the pains of this world; stronger even than death.

Paul was joyful because he was also grateful. He was grateful because even his worst day in prison with Jesus in his heart was more joyful than a moment of freedom without Jesus. In all of his letters Paul gave thanks to the Lord for giving him the opportunity to share the Good News with others! Prison did not diminish his joy or his gratitude. Rejoicing and thanksgiving are two sides of the same coin. The Psalmist says it well when he proclaims: “Cry out with joy and gladness…Give thanks to the Lord.”

So far during this Season of Advent, we have been focusing our attention on vigilance and preparation for the Lord’s return. Today we are reminded that while we wait for Him to return, we are also grateful and joyful for His presence and blessings. Rejoice!

Fr. Mike