December 22, 2019: Homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent, Year A

Readings: Isaiah 7:10-14; Romans 1:1-7; Mt. 1:18-24

Joseph Had His Plans, But God Said ‘No’

Joseph’s dream, and indeed, the dream of the men of his time, was to get married, raise a family and live happily ever after. He was focused on that dream. He had a roof over his head, a good trade, owning a carpentry business, was making money, I presume, and was sure to provide for his family. Joseph, a devoted Jew, followed the traditional way of getting a wife. He got engaged to Mary through a Jewish matchmaker. At this stage, the couple must not necessarily know each other before the engagement. The second stage was betrothal. This could last for about a year. It gave the couple a chance to get to know each other. There could be occasional visits, but nothing really more serious than that. Once the betrothal took place, the couple were known as man and wife. Although they were not together as husband and wife, betrothal was so solemn that it could only be terminated by divorce. The third step was marriage proper. It was at the betrothal stage that Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant. Joseph’s dream was unfulfilled, his plans, shattered, and his world crumbled. Or did it? “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” (Is. 55:8-9). Yes, when God enters your world, He turns it upside down and inside out.

On this fourth Sunday of Advent I want to reflect briefly on the man Joseph. Who was he? This man never spoke a word in the bible, yet his personality, his humanity and his humility can be rated as high as any biblical character of his time. His role in salvation history cannot be underrated or downplayed. In today’s Gospel, we heard that “He was a righteous man.” Joseph is called righteous because of his desire to observe the law. This righteousness was united with an unwillingness to expose his wife. Joseph must have been set apart for the glory of God. He was a God-fearing man who would do nothing to the contrary, to jeopardize his relationship with God or his fellow men. He was compassionate. He so empathized with Mary’s situation that he would do nothing to discredit her openly. He was a man of honor and did all he could to protect Mary’s good name. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that “A person’s reputation is their most prized possession, and to destroy it is not just unjust but robbery. Even if what we say about other people is true, and they have done terrible things, it is still deeply wrong to destroy their name, unless there is some compelling necessity for the common good.” I wish we could learn from Joseph, not to say a word that will destroy the good name of another child of God. “Do to no one what you would not want done to you.” (Matt. 7:12).

Joseph was a man of faith. He trusted God and was sure that God would find a way for him. And He did! Joseph was told to take his wife home because she was pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. He was to be the foster father of Jesus, he was therefore, allowed to name Jesus. He played a big role in the life of Jesus. As his earthly father, Joseph was there for Jesus every step of the way.

Joseph was a man of prayer. When he was worried about his wife, he took it to the Lord in prayer. He did not report her to people and sought what to do with her. God showed him the way and instructed him on what to do. He never wavered from God’s plan but helped to bring it about. He re-echoed Mary’s fiat in his heart: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” How do you deal with troubling situations in your life? Who do you talk to first? Can we learn from this quiet man of the New Testament? God will always meet you at the hour of you need and show you a way out. Just trust and say yes to God like Mary and Joseph. But know that when you let God into your life, your plans become God’s plans and your life becomes his life. You will be given responsibilities you never bargain for but, be sure of this: He will always be there with you. He will send his angels to assure you that He is Emmanuel, God with us. He will provide you with what you need. In the midst of suffering and disappointments, in pains and toil, in hardship and hunger, in temptation and danger, he will always be with you because you said yes to him.

This brings us to the first reading. Ahaz would not say yes to God like Joseph. In about 735 B.C. Ahaz, king of Judah, was being pressured by two other kings (those of Israel and Damascus) to join an alliance against the superpower, Assyria. Isaiah the prophet, met the king and told him that he must not join any alliance but must put his faith absolutely in the Lord. “Unless your faith is firm, you shall not be firm.” (v.9). Then when Ahaz hypocritically refuses a sign that God would be with him, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!”, Isaiah gives him the sign: “The virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.” This son would be a sign that God was with his people. God was faithful to his word. Ahaz had a son who succeeded him. His son was a good leader. Matthew saw the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Jesus, who was born of a virgin. Isaiah’s prophecy and its fulfillment in Matthew’s Gospel point to the real continuity in history because of the divine word. History is not a meaningless chain of events. It is, rather, as Paul would put it, a mystery that is gradually unraveled for those who believe. God’s Word in the past has an inherent power that releases itself only in the time of perfect fulfillment. (The Word Alive by Eugene H. Maly).

On this last week of Advent, as we celebrate Christmas in a few days, let Joseph lead us to the presence of the new born king. Let him show us how to surrender our plans to him and say yes to God in all its ramifications. May we not hold on to our ways like Ahaz, who could not bear it because he did not believe, and his plans, in the end, came to nothing. For those who do have faith, who do trust in the Lord in total surrender to him can live in the world, knowing that the fulfillment of God’s promises will inevitably come. They know that what ‘Immanuel means is true. He is with us always, even till the end of time.

Points to ponder:

·      How easy is it for you to say yes to God?

·      When you have problems, who do you talk to first?

·      If you were Joseph, what would you have done?

·      Do you spread rumors about someone, even when you are not sure if what you are saying is true or false?

·      You are almost there: you should be on the 22^nd chapter of St. Luke today. If not, what is stopping you? Have a Merry Christmas!

“Don’t forget to pray today because God didn’t forget to wake you up this morning”

December 15, 2019: Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year (A)

Readings: Isaiah 35:1-6; James 5:7-10; Mt. 11:2-11

 Rejoice for The Lord!

Today is Gaudete Sunday, so called because of the entrance antiphon: “Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. Dominus enim proper est. Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say, rejoice! The Lord is near.” St. Paul, writing to the Philippians from jail, urged them to rejoice in the Lord. Paul would not allow his prison cell to dampen his joy. But the Second reading tells us to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Just as the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, so we too must make our hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand.

This theme of hope and patiently waiting for the Lord is stressed by the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading. Isaiah was writing to the Jews who were in captivity in Babylon. They were sad because they had lost everything: freedom, property, homeland and the temple. They had lost hope of ever returning to their homeland. Their future was bleak, dark and gloomy. But Isaiah was more optimistic as he described the future he saw. God would bring them home and change their lives. “The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God… Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!” The weak, the sick, the blind and the lame would be freed of their affliction and restored to wholeness. Yes, “His anger lasts only a moment, his goodness for a lifetime. Tears may flow in the night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps.30:5).

Isaiah’s dream of prosperity and peace is the dream and undying faith of every generation. Our dream is that, out of this brutal and cruel world, the earth will one day be at peace, its defaced beauty restored, its wounds healed, its sorrows lifted. God will open a road leading his people home, where all men and women will praise Him with one heart and mind. This, indeed, is the message of Christ to John the Baptist in prison, and to the poor and hopeless of this world: ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see’, “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers and cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” (Matthew 11:5).  

But don’t we sometimes feel like the despondent children of Israel? At times, we seem to have come to the end of our ropes. There seem to be no light at the end of the tunnel. We have tried everything, and nothing seems to work. Well, John the Baptist must have felt that way too, in today’s Gospel reading. He preached repentance with fire and brimstone: reprimanding, warning, cajoling and coaxing the Jews to act with immediate alacrity: repent of their sins and bear good fruit of repentance. He, who, was a fearless preacher, who confronted kings and queens with a call to new life, ended up in Herod’s prison. He must have felt that if Christ was the Messiah, he would show him mercy and get him out of jail. But that did not happen. John may have felt like Elijah, who, after his mighty works, found himself running for dear life, and prayed God to take his life. “This is enough, O Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” (1Kings 19:4). So, John sent messengers to Christ: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” (Matt.11:3). John had run out of patience. Why was his case different? But Jesus answered John that God’s ways were not man’s ways. The kingdom of God may be slow in coming but it will certainly come. Our destiny may be delayed but never denied. Go and tell John what you have seen and heard. What have we seen and heard?

Dear friends, in whatever situation you may find yourselves in today, know that God is right there with you. Even as a country, see how far we have come. Do not forget that there was a time in this country, when people were separated by the color of their skins, and voting rights was the prerogative of a few rather than a right for eligible voters. How can we forget the struggle for emancipation and its subsequent declaration in 1863, or the civil rights movements, and all those who fought for and against it? Think of the many lives that were lost during those struggles. What made the movement possible was people’s undying faith in God and their hope for a better tomorrow. Isaiah reminded the children of Israel in exile that their freedom was within reach. This was the same faith that put freedom within reach for African Americans, living in slavery, in years long past. Their traditional spirituals, according to Pamela Crosby, “All God’s Chillun got shoes” mentions having shoes – something most slaves did not have – plus a robe, a harp, a crown and wings gave them hope. They knew none of these were actually available on earth for them at the time but held on to their faith that “there is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead, to heal the sin-sick soul. Don’t ever feel discouraged, for Jesus is your friend. And if you lack for knowledge, he’ll ne’er refuse to lend.” These struggles and the subsequent triumph of good over evil put this third week of Advent in perspective for us.  

And so, we are encouraged to rejoice but to be patient at the same time. The birth of Christ will change the course of our lives. Jesus is truly the Messiah John the Baptist preached about. There is no reason to doubt that or be discouraged because things do not work out as we planned. God is still in control! Let us pray at this Mass that we may rejoice in the Lord always for He is near. For we know that “Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Rom. 5:3-5). May this Christmas truly be the beginning of all that is good in your life. For He who is coming is Emmanuel, God with us. With Him nothing shall ever be impossible for God to do in our lives. May the birth of Christ open our hearts to receive his peace, hope, love and joy. Amen.  

Points to ponder:

·      Have read St. Luke’s Gospel today? You should have read 14 chapters already and getting ready for the 15^th. If not, why not?

·      If you have doubts like John the Baptist, feed your doubt with the word of God, don’t be sad, trust!  

“Don’t forget to pray today because God didn’t forget to wake you up this morning”

December 08, 2019: Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent; Year (A)

Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-9; Mt. 3:1-12

A Prophet Like No Other – John the Baptist.

On this second Sunday of Advent the Church presents us with a man by the name of John, meaning ‘Gift of God’. He was a prophet like no other. He came to prepare the way for the Messiah. John lived in the desert and wore camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locust and wild honey. His appearance was frightening, and his message: direct and urgent, demanding immediate action. John knew there was no time to waste on frivolities. For him, everything else in life can wait, but the search for God cannot wait. “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap…Be vigilant at all times and pray…” (Lk. 21:34). John warned us that God was coming in search of us, therefore, we should pay attention, stop running after material things and turn our life to Him. Why should we delay in forgiving others? To postpone acts of kindness or not be compassionate and merciful are leisure Christians cannot afford. Procrastination is a theft of time, so, one must act now. Putting off repentance can spell disaster, and not doing what is right is a delay of justice that Christians should not tolerate. Why put off till tomorrow what should be done today! The time for repentance is now. “If today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Ps.95:8). Paul warned: “It is the hour now for you to wake from sleep.” (Rom.13:11-14). “Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matt.24:42).

 John was the voice of one crying in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. People went to him to be baptized in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. He called them ‘brood of vipers’ and urged them to repent of their sins and flee from the coming wrath. He demanded that they produced good fruit as evidence of their repentance. They should not delude themselves that they were Abraham’s children, “God can raise up children from Abraham from these stones. Even now the axe lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Matt.3:9-10).

John the Baptist was not a pleasant prophet to be with. He is not on any of the Christmas cards you will receive, or could you recall the one you got last year, with John calling you to repentance and wishing you a merry Christmas! He would properly remind you of the beggars on the street. Yet, without John the Baptist and his message we would not have Christ in our hearts; and Christmas would properly make no sense. To enjoy a fruitful Christmas, we must be confronted by this crazy prophet out of the desert, with his difficult message that must be heard, whether we like it or not.

It is only by taking the message of John the Baptist seriously that the first reading makes sense to us. Isaiah prophesied of a king who will be the living embodiment of the qualities which are to be expected of one worthy to govern. This king will spring like “a shoot from the stump of Jesse.” Jesse was the father of King David, and, by this time, the Kingship in Jerusalem was barely surviving as the word ‘stump’ indicates. These are the virtues that God requires in a leader. Wisdom and Understanding, are the essential intellectual qualities of a judge or ruler. Counsel and Might represent the practical application of wisdom, the gift of decisiveness in judgement and moral energy to carry it out. Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord, are the religious characteristic of leadership. He who must rule others must himself be ruled by knowledge of God and be constraint to live according to God’s moral demands. “If the electorate of the nations would demand of those who seek office, intellectual power, moral force with practical sagacity, and religious faith we should be better governed.” (The Interpreter’s Bible). When such individuals mount the throne of leadership and governance, the picture of a perfect and just, and equitable government will be experienced. For the leader will not judge by appearances, nor decide by hearsay, but act with justice to the helpless, and decide fairly for the humble. He will strike down the ruthless with his verdicts and slay the unjust with his sentences. Justice shall gird him for action, he shall be belted with trustworthiness. Herein, then, lies the fruit of repentance demanded by John the Baptist. “The ideals of democracy can be vindicated only through character. Men do not sufficiently consider that where democracy has failed, it has not been because of constitutional weaknesses or faults in administrative procedure, but because of moral defects in the governors and the governed.” (The Interpreter’s Bible).

The outcome of right judgment and leadership according to the mind of God, such that the Messiah will usher in by his birth, will be reconciliation even in the world of nature, and the ancient enmity between man and beasts shall be done away with. There will be peace and “There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord.” (Is.11:9). Therefore, “Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace forever.” (Ps.72:7).

Isaiah and John the Baptist were prophets who spoke God’s message to His people and called them to repentance and faith. Their messages were difficult, but some listened and put them into practice, so must we. John the Baptist warned that repentance was not enough, we must bear its fruit. It is not enough to tell people that we are Christians, we must demonstrate it by our deeds. It is by doing simple tasks of love that we bear good fruit. Let me conclude with this exhortation from the letter of St. James: “Therefore, put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the word that has been planted in you and is able to save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like.” (James 1:21-25). May we be Christians in word and in deed and may God find in our hearts a well-prepared dwelling place for His Son at his birth. Amen!

Points to ponder:

·      Are you reading St. Luke’s Gospel? You should have read 7 chapters already and getting ready for the 8^th. If not, why not?

·      How are you preparing for the birth of Christ?

·      What would you do for Christ this week?

·      The Sacrament of Reconciliation will be celebrated on Thursday, Dec.13, at 6:00 pm. This is one way to prepare for the birth of Christ, will you be there?

“Don’t forget to pray today because God didn’t forget to wake you up this morning”