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Feast of the Lord's Baptism

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  THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD We open the Christmas season by celebrating the arrival of Jesus. Then we follow up by exploring the theological significance of his arrival. For example, should it matter to us that he enters our world by way of the family? Do we need to revise our understanding of the Blessed Mother? And how do the Gentiles fit into the picture? On this final weekend of the Christmas season, however, the focus begins to shift. We are moving beyond the manger. Now, we are at the Jordan River, watching Jesus receive his Baptism. This marks a new phase: from this point on, it will be all about his public ministry.  In other words, he doesn’t arrive just for the sake of arriving. Rather, he arrives so that a mission can be undertaken. By way of illustration, think about that famous Dr. Seuss character: The Cat In The Hat . He arrives at a particular home. Somehow, mysteriously, he knows that his services are going to be required. The children within that home are a com...
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Feast of the Epiphany

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  FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY  We’ll begin with a roll call: at this point we have the baby Jesus, along with Mary and Joseph; the shepherds have checked in; the animals are gathered within the stable; angels have manifested themselves; and now we see that the Wise Men are stepping onto the scene. But so far there’s no sign of the Little Drummer Boy.  He’s actually somebody that doesn’t get mentioned in the Bible. Rather, he is more of a legendary figure. If you do want to make room for the legend, then here is what you will discover: he stands in sharp contrast to the Three Kings. The Magi are adorned in regal splendor. They come before the manger bearing expensive gifts. As for the drummer boy,  he  belongs to the peasant class. He confesses: I have no gift to bring.  It’s not something that can be held against him. He can’t help the way that he is dressed. He can’t help being poor and destitute. He can’t do anything about his state in life. But it occurs to hi...
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Solemnity of Mary Mother of God [New Year's]

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  SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD It’s Jesus being exalted when we arrive at the date of December 25th. Now, as we advance to the date of January 1st, it’s the Virgin Mary ’s turn to be exalted. But is it exclusive? Is it she and she alone who receives exaltation? Has she completely replaced Jesus on center-stage? It is true, we are definitely saying something about Mary when we acknowledge her as the Mother of God . However, at the same time, we are likewise saying something about her Son: we are saying that he has a divine status. We are saying that Luke 1:38 portrays Divinity itself taking up residence within the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary . Therefore, the stage is being shared. Along with saluting the Virgin Mary, we are also offering a salute to the “ fruit of her womb .”  Basically, it’s because of Jesus’ exalted status that we are allowed to extend an exalted status to Mary.  You’ve heard the expression: a high tide raises all of the boats in the harbor. I...
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Feast of the Holy Family

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  HOLY FAMILY HOMILY, CYCLE A Cycle “A” brings us first of all to the Book of Sirach, chapter three. The point is that, within the family unit, each member needs to honor the other (3:1-16). By honoring those around you, you will in turn be honoring the message found in the Book of Sirach. Of course, it’s not always easy honoring the people who share your life. There’s typically friction, and sometimes even episodes of conflict. That’s why the Sirach reading is followed by a selection from St. Paul. The mandate we encounter in the Book of Sirach becomes more manageable if we incorporate Paul’s advice in Colossians chapter three. Pay special attention to verse sixteen: Let the word of Christ dwell within you, richly . With the help of the word, you’ll stay on track as a family.  The word doesn’t cancel out the difficulties. But it allows you to navigate, when the difficulties do present themselves. In terms of the difficulties to be potentially faced, they will come from withi...
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Sermon For Christmas

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SERMON FOR THE NATIVITY  Imagine being visited by somebody who comes from another world. Do we find the idea agreeable? Or disagreeable? It depends. It depends on which movie you happen to be watching. The 1951 production, “Thing From Another World,”  will leave you feeling rather apprehensive. The visitor in that film poses a serious threat to the population. We would prefer to be spared from that kind of a visit. On the other hand, we’ll be less apprehensive if it’s somebody like E.T.  He comes in peace. E.T. is more of a friend than a threat. So, because we’re familiar with the 1982 film, we will welcome a visit from E.T.  We know that it will be a happy experience for us.  However, why settle for “happy?” We’re being treated to a certifiably joyful experience as we make the transition from Advent to Christmas. Previously, we were singing “O Come O Come Emmanuel.”  Today, we’re singing “Joy To The World.”  Why should we expect the world to rejoice?...
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Fourth Sunday of Advent [A]

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  FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT [A] Paul makes a double reference in Romans chapter one: he portrays Christ as the Son of God and also as the Son of David (1:3-4). In terms of lineage, we connect Christ to David through the family tree of Joseph—the same Joseph featured in Matthew chapter one. It could be said that we are promoting the human side of Jesus when we call him the Son of David. At the same time, we acknowledge his divinity when we pronounce him as the Son of God. The point being made by St. Paul is that the human side is the side that could be most easily overlooked.  We have been singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” throughout the season of Advent. As we hear it being explained in Matthew, the name Emmanuel means “God with us” (1:23). How does the Lord take his place among us? It happens by way of David’s line. Through that lineage, the prophecy outlined in Isaiah chapter seven reaches a state of fulfillment. The Virgin produces a Son, known to us as Emmanuel (Is. 7:14). H...
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Third Sunday of Advent [A]

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  THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT [A] You’ve heard the expression: “It’s time to put your cards on the table.”  It means that we’re done with speculation, with pretense, with strategizing. Now we’ll see just how strong your hand really is. This concept becomes illustrated in a 1965 production called “The Cincinnati Kid.”  The 1994 film “Maverick” also includes a climactic scene in which the cards are dramatically being placed on the table.  The point behind referencing these two movies? Essentially, this is what John does in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter eleven. He’s putting his cards on the table. Earlier, he goes on record, endorsing the person of Jesus (see John 1:29-34). But as time passes, conditions worsen for John. He eventually finds himself being arrested, locked up in prison. Meanwhile, it’s being reported to him that Jesus has forsaken the approach of a freedom fighter. This produces an inner conflict for John. Has he been supporting the wrong man? Should they go ...
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