Christmas, Cycle B - December 25, 2020

 Christmas

Cycle B

December 25, 2020

St. Mary Parish, Pylesville 4, 6, and 8pm

Bon Secours Retreat and Conference Center        11am

 

I Heard the Bells 

 

One hundred and fifty-seven years ago, Christmas of 1863, our nation was deeply divided by the Civil War.

 

On that Christmas, the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was feeling very down. He was worried about our country and about his son who had been wounded in battle.

 

Feeling so down, Longfellow scribbled these words: “In despair I bowed my head; `There is no peace on earth,’ I said.  `For hate is strong and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good will to all.’”

 

Very soon after writing these words, again, on Christmas Day 1863, Longfellow heard the sound of bells from a nearby church. The peeling of those bells lifted him out of his downcast spirit and awakened his faith and hope.

 

So, in a matter of minutes, Longfellow rewrote his words: “Then peeled the bells more loud and deep: `God is not dead; nor doth he sleep! The wrong shall fail, The right prevail, With peace on earth, good will to all.’”

 

As we all know, Longfellow’s words became our popular carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.   

 

I Heard the Word 

 

Those bells reminded Longfellow of God and of what Christmas is all about.

 

They awakened his faith and hope. They helped him to see the possibilities that Christmas proclaims.

 

Tonight, the Scripture readings – like the bells – awaken our faith and hope in what the birth of Jesus is all about.

 

Awaken to Sacredness of Human Life

 

Most basic and most important of all, tonight’s gospel reveals that God has taken on our humanity in the birth of Jesus.  

 

God is one with us and is present in our humanity. What I see here is that the birth of Jesus awakens our faith in the sacredness of the life of each person.

 

Aren’t we seeing this reverence for life right now in the untiring commitment of our health care workers in caring for those with Covid? And doesn’t this call me and each of us to do every practical thing we can to protect one another from this virus?

 

And don’t we see this reverence for life in the hard work and thoughtful care of so many parents for their children? And doesn’t this call me and each of us to care for the life of unborn children and also of all children who are living with no hope?

 

So, Christmas, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, awakens our faith in the sacredness of human life.        

    

Awaken to Respect for Differences 

 

And then, tonight’s gospel tells about shepherds coming to the manger in Bethlehem.

 

A few verses after this passage, we hear that wise men from the East also come to see the newborn Savior. These stories tell us that Jesus draws to himself the poor, uneducated shepherds from nearby, and the wealthy, educated wise men from a foreign land.

 

What I see here is that the birth of Jesus awakens us to a respect for differences. In fact, it awakens us even to a valuing of differences.

 

Don’t we see this already with our country accomplishing so much when we value both athletes and artists, computer techs and carpenters, delivery drivers and doctors, engineers and electricians, farmers and financial experts, mechanics and military officers, psychologists and plumbers, security guards and scientists, teachers and tailors? And doesn’t this call me and each of us to stop being afraid of differences in other realms of life and realize how enriching they can be?

 

So, Christmas, the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, awakens us to a respect and valuing of differences.

 

Conclusion

 

That’s what I am seeing, this Christmas of 2020.

 

May we allow the bells of Christmas and our Christmas gospel to awaken us in these ways. With that, we can have “peace on earth [and] good will to all.”   

4th Sunday of Advent, Cycle B - December 20, 2020

 4th Sunday of Advent

Cycle B

December 20, 2020       

Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville   8am

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton   11am

 

The Annunciation 

 

Today’s gospel is one of the most well-known stories in the entire Bible.

 

It is called the Annunciation. The angel Gabriel announces something to Mary – the word Annunciation refers to this announcement. 

 

This passage is packed with details that are inspiring and enriching for our faith. I have chosen three of them for our reflection. 

 

1. Mary as Disciple

 

The number one thing to notice is that Saint Luke presents Mary as the first and model disciple.

 

Just look at what happens. At the beginning of the story, the angel Gabriel greets Mary and announces what is about to take place.

 

Then, at the very end of the passage, Mary responds. “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.”

 

So, Mary 1) listens and then 2) lives out God’s message. It is helpful to think about her response in the context of a story later in Luke’s gospel.  

 

Jesus is inside a house and someone says, “Your mother and family are outside wanting to talk with you.” And Jesus responds, “My mother and family are those who [1] listen to the Word of God and [2] live it.”  

 

So, Jesus defines what it means to be a member of his spiritual family or a disciple – 1) listening to and 2) living his word. The significant thing is that Mary has already done this before Jesus is even born.  

 

In fact, Mary becomes Jesus’ physical mother and forms his human family because she is the first member of his spiritual family. She is the first and model disciple.  

 

2. Jesus As God’s Son

 

The next thing that stands out for me is what the angel tells Mary about the child she will bear.

 

The angel says: “He will be called Son of the Most High.” And then, a few verses later, Gabriel explains to Mary how this will happen.

 

“The power of the Most High will overshadow you.” And it is this word “overshadow” that is significant. 

 

The Book of Genesis uses the same word “overshadow” to describe the work of the Holy Spirit in the act of creation. And, as I just said a minute ago, Mary responds to the angel: “Let it be done to me according to your word.”  

 

Again, the Book of Genesis uses the same word or expression that Mary uses here – in Latin, “Fiat” – “Let it be done.” Genesis uses this same word to describe God’s action in creating the world.

 

So, the idea here with these words – “overshadow” and “Let it be done” – the idea is that God is doing a new creation – something radically new with Mary. And, of course, Gabriel gets very clear on what this newness is.  

 

The angel says: “The child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.” The newness is that this child is the Son of God, the very presence of God with us.  

 

3. Nothing Is Impossible 

 

My last reflection is on Gabriel’s concluding words to Mary: “Nothing will be impossible for God.”

 

We all know or have known relatives or friends who have been in situations that seem impossible. Maybe we ourselves have been in such situations: a serious case of cancer or Covid; an addiction or the loss of a job out; chronic anxiety or depression.

 

And I imagine that you have said as I have often said: “I will pray for you.” “I will remember you at Mass.”

 

Have you ever thought that our promise of prayer is based on what Gabriel tells Mary today? “Nothing will be impossible for God.”

 

Mary fully affirms Gabriel’s statement and, in doing this, is a great example of faith for us. She herself knows very well that with God, all things are possible.

 

She invites us to trust that God will care for us and for others for whom we pray. God can do what we cannot conceive of in our own minds.

 

And so, we promise to pray for one another. Because “Nothing will be impossible for God.”

 

 

3rd Sunday of Advent, Cycle B - December 13, 2020

 3rd Sunday of Advent 

Cycle B

December 13, 2020

Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville   8:00am       

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton   11:00am 

 

John the Prophet

 

In the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico, there is a large sculpture of Saint John the Baptist.

 

The sculpture is located between the ocean and a main highway in San Juan. The interesting thing is how John is portrayed. 

 

He stands with his head tilted down and his eyes looking down at the highway. But his right arm is raised above his head – something like this – with his index finger pointing up to the heavens. 

 

This depiction says a lot about John the Baptist and other prophets.  

 

John and the Other Prophets

 

In today’s gospel, John is asked: “Are you the Prophet?” – spelled with a capital P. 

 

Here the word Prophet means the Messiah or Savior that God has promised. John replies that he is not the Prophet in that sense.

 

But, in truth, he is a prophet – spelled with a small c. He is the last of a long line of Old Testament prophets who were preparing the way for the Savior whom God promised.

 

As the sculpture in San Juan depicts, John and other prophets are looking closely at everyday life. But they are doing this from a heavenly perspective – with their finger or mind pointed up and focused on God. 

 

We as Prophets

 

Maybe we have never thought about it before, but we and all baptized persons are called to be prophets.

 

In the Rite of Baptism, we are anointed with consecrated oil with these words. “As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet, and King, so may you live.”

 

So, we are to live as prophet. We will leave the Priest and King parts for another time. 

 

For today, the question is: what does it mean for us to be a prophet? Well, it definitely doesn’t mean living in a desert or dressing differently like John did.

 

In fact, being a prophet is to be part of ordinary, everyday life. I think we can summarize what it means in three statements: We are to 1) listen to God, 2) speak for God, and 3) work with God.

 

1.    Listen to God

 

First, we are to listen to God.

 

This can be a quiet five minutes early in the morning before the busyness of the day starts. Or it can be a quiet thirty to forty seconds at a stop light.

 

Or it can be reading and reflecting on a passage from the gospel. Making time to listen to God may be challenging, but it is important.

 

It is our way of having our arm above our head with our index finger pointed to God. It’s our way of inviting God to guide us in all the stuff we do in the course of a day.

 

2.    Speak for God  

 

So, 1) listen to God, and then 2) speak for God.

 

Today’s gospel says that “John was sent from God to testify to the light.” John’s role was positive – to testify to the light and not just curse the darkness.

 

And, as John says, the light is Jesus and his message. So, as prophets, we speak for God when we affirm the good behavior or accomplishments of our children. 

 

We speak for God when we assert or lift up something that we believe without putting down someonewho believes differently. Speaking for God like this is the way of the Christian prophet.

 

3.    Work with God

 

Finally, we are to work with God.

 

The idea is that God needs us to be his hands and feet in the world. So, following the images of Isaiah in the first reading, we work with God when we prepare a casserole for the Our Daily Bread program. 

 

We work with God when we comfort someone whose heart is broken by the death of a loved one. We work with God when we are with those imprisoned by depression or loneliness.

 

So, we are to 1) listen to, 2) speak for, and 3) work with God. That’s the way to be a prophet of the New Testament and to live out our baptism.

 

 

 

 

2nd Sunday of Advent, Cycle B - December 6, 2020

 2nd Sunday of Advent  

Cycle A

Our Lady of Grace Parish, Parkton 8:30 a.m.

Saint Mary Parish, Pylesville 11:30 a.m. 

December 6, 2020

 

Breaking News

 

Today, when we watch the news on TV, we often see the words Breaking News.

 

Breaking News appears when a story is new. It is intended to grab our attention.

 

For example, about three weeks ago, we saw Breaking News when an American pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, announced that it had completed its phase-three clinical trials on a vaccine for Covid. It said that the vaccine looked to be 94% effective. 

 

Days later, we heard similar Breaking News from Moderna, another American pharmaceutical company. Two other companies, including one right here in Maryland, are also close with their vaccines.

 

We have also heard that the FDA may give emergency authorization to Pfizer and Moderna very soon, and that people will begin to get vaccinated by the end of December. So, all of this is Breaking News and, thank God, it is good news.

 

Mark’s News 

 

I think this context helps us to appreciate today’s gospel.

 

This passage is the very beginning of Mark’s gospel and he starts off this way: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The word for gospel means proclamation.

  

It is the same word that civil rulers used back then when they had something important to proclaim to their people. So, in effect, Mark is saying: “This is the proclamation, the Breaking News, the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

 

Notice, right in this first sentence, Mark explains why there is a proclamation, Breaking News, good news about a man from Nazareth. Because God has entered our world in the person of Jesus and he is “the Son of God.”

 

More News: John and Jesus 

 

Then, right after telling us this, Mark gives us some background – kind of like the next thirty seconds worth of Breaking News.

 

Mark tells us that a man named John the Baptist is introducing Jesus and telling us something about him. And John is doing this even by his own lifestyle. 

 

So, John’s diet consists of locusts and wild honey – not my idea of a good snack! These foods are symbolic. 

 

In the Old Testament, God sent a plague of locusts to punish the evil pharaoh in Egypt – in other words, to overcome evil. And so, John’s eating locusts tells us that Jesus is coming to do good things and to overcome evil.

 

Jesus will fulfill the images that we hear in today’s first reading – levelling mountains and filling in valleys and smoothing rough roads. These images, like the locusts, are symbolic and they point to how Jesus will do good and overcome evil.

 

Jesus’ News

 

For example, Jesus will level the mountain of human ego when we place ourselves or our group above others. He will introduce the humble way of seeing ourselves, along with everyone else, as God’s sons and daughters.

 

Then, Jesus will fill in the valley of hopelessness that can be caused by poverty or by loneliness. He will move us to care for those who are hurting in any way, as if we were caring for him. 

 

And Jesus will also smooth the rough land of injured and broken relationships. He will show us the way of taking the first step and trying to forgive and even to reconcile. 

 

Conclusion

 

So, the locusts that John eats are symbolic – symbolic of the good that Jesus will introduce and the evil he will overcome. 

 

And the honey that John eats is a Biblical symbol of God’s loving care for us. It reminds us of those first words in the Isaiah passage today: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.”

 

 Jesus, as Mark says in his opening sentence, is the Son of God and gives us the comfort of God’s presence. That is the proclamation, the Breaking News, the good news of these Advent Scriptures today.

 

Fr. Michael Schleupner