December 19, 1999 |
We arrive now at the FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT, which is the immediate preparation for the celebration of the Incarnation: that is, the birth of Christ. The focus of Sacred Scripture has shifted from the second coming of Christ at the end of time to His first coming...that is, at His birth. The spotlight has also shifted: from John the Baptist to Mary, the mother of Jesus. We hear the beloved, familiar story of the Annunciation, when Mary says to the Archangel Gabriel Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant...the bearer of God, foreshadowed in the second Book of Samuel in the Old Testament. Mary's complete trust in God, her openness and acceptance of God's will make the birth of Christ possible. Her response to God and prayers should be an example to us in these last days of Advent, as we prepare for another Christmas! Christmas is the time of the Birth of Our Savior, of our Faith: Faith is both gift and mystery: A gift from God that at the same time seemingly offers challenges and hope and strength.
On this same Fourth Sunday of Advent, many years ago now, Karol Cardinal Woytla (now Pope John Paul II) dedicated some Church bells in a parish Church in the archdiocese of Krakow. In this season, when we hear bells, and the bells of other Churches, let us remember his words: May they [the bells] be eloquent in telling everybody that God is drawing near and in proclaiming his presence, holiness, mercy, and grace. May they be his forerunners, like John in the wilderness, and may they reach even those corners that nobody can reach, where people are alone and forget God. May their voice be accompanied by the grace of God himself, the grace of conversion and repentance, but also the grace of trust, joy, and consolation, because this is how the grace they announce comes to us.
As daylight grows shorter and darkness grows longer, lights begin to shine. A spirit of expectation begins to arise and accelerate. There are shopping trips, gift wrapping parties and a different kind of music is heard in the streets. It is obvious something wonderful is about to happen! In the midst of this excitement worshippers in churches are reminded to; be watchful, repent, and do penance. This gospel message is paralleled in a popular song heard at this time of year: You better watch out you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why: __________ is coming to town! Purple inside of churches clash bright sparkling colors everywhere else. People everywhere prepare to celebrate Christmas by taking part in a variety of traditions, some of them only remotely associated with the preparation for the coming of the Lord. Yes, someone is coming to town. Prepare the way of the Lord!
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Leader: Let us pray. O God, by Whose word all things are sanctified, pour forth Your blessing on this wreath, and grant that we who use it may prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ and may receive from You abundant graces. We ask this through Christ Our Lord.
All: Amen
All: O Lord, stir up Your power, we beg You, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening dangers of our sins and be saved by your deliverance. We ask this through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Four candles are lighted and left burning during the meal.
My Dear Family in Christ:
We are now celebrating the fourth week of Advent. In the first reading from the Second Book of Samuel, we hear the PROMISE made to the house of David: "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall stand firm forever" (2Sam 7.16). I should like to comment on this promise that was ultimately fulfilled in the receptivity of Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
These last weeks, we hear more and more about the possibilities of failure surrounding Y2K. It is quite easy to get caught up in this. Some people are canceling trips, buying extra food, even water, and are imagining the worst possible scenario.
I would like to say, on the contrary, as we come to the end of this millennium, we have the cooperation of the Blessed Mother in realizing the promise. God not only came to us; in His Son we have been redeemed. In this final Sunday, we are proclaiming in this liturgy the marvels of the promise, as Mary is totally open and receptive to the invitation: "Let it be done to me as you say" (Lk 1:38).
Let us take comfort in her willingness to cooperate with the divine plan. She has shown us that the promise was not just made to the house of David but through 12/31/99. This promise is offered to us again today as we, too, open our minds and hearts to the Word made flesh. Let us, then, not be side tracked by the preoccupation of computer malfunctionings, but be waiting for the coming Savior who comes to bring us peace.
Father Ron
The Christmas tree as a widespread tradition is relatively recent. By the beginning of the 19th century it had become popular throughout Germany and from there it spread to Slavic nations and France. Only in the mid-1800s was the custom introduced into England. About the same time, it was popularized in the United States by German immigrants. On a limited basis, it had first been introduced in the American colonies by Hessian soldiers during the American Revolution, and even earlier by the German Moravian church.
At first, Christmas trees in this country were small table trees decorated with homemade ornaments from needlework, pastries, and ribbon. By the end of the last century, floor-to-ceiling trees were common, decorated with homemade and commercially manufactured decorations, and wrapped in tinsel garland. In the late 1930s the lightbulb-blowing process was adapted to Christmas tree balls.
Christmas trees appear in numerous forms today. For many people they are merely a holiday decoration. They preserve, however, rich Christian symbolism: the green of hope at a time of dying, the burning light of Christ at a time of spiritual darkness, and the fruits of paradise.
Question: Why are pilgrimages significant during the Great Jubilee Holy Year 2000?
Answer: Pilgrimages have always been a significant part of the life of the faithful. (Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 (BIGJ) by John Paul II.) In particular, pilgrimages remind us that life is a journey. A pilgrimage evokes the believer's personal journey in the footsteps of the Redeemer: It is an exercise of practical asceticism, of repentance for human weaknesses, of constant vigilance over one's own frailty, of interior preparation for a change of heart. Through vigils, fasting, and prayer, the pilgrim progresses along the path of Christian perfection. (BIGJ by JP II.)
The roots of pilgrimages are in Sacred Scripture. The Israelites would make pilgrimages to the city where the Ark of the Covenant was kept. The shrines of Bethel and Shiloh were also common pilgrimage sites. Jesus himself went with Mary and Joseph as a pilgrim to the Holy City of Jerusalem. (Lk 2:41) (BIGJ by John Paul II.)
We are all encouraged to make pilgrimages during the Holy Year 2000. Watch the bulletin for pilgrimages in our Archdiocese. Also consider visiting local shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the Saints.
I have always loved Christmas and I hope you do, too. After Mass on Christmas Eve, I go off by myself to pray and read Christmas stories and poems that keep the Christmas spirit alive in my heart. It is a treasured and a needed time for me if I am to speak to you about Him.
Let me share with you a few lines from a poem I read each year. It is entitled "The Art of Keeping Christmas" by Wilfred Peterson.
"How can we best keep Christmas?...By rediscovering the faith and simplicity of a little child, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. By being still and listening to the angels sing within our hearts. By quietly evaluating our lives according to the Master's standards as set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. By rededicating ourselves to the Master's ideas of peace, brotherhood and good will. By resolving to give ourselves away to others in love, joy and devotion."
Take some time this week to pull away and let Him speak to your inner Child. Merry Christmas.
Father Murphy
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! The Christmas message is profound. Yet, there is a tendency to focus our attention, almost exclusively, on the infancy story of Jesus. It is cute and easy to be responsive to a baby. Christmas is more than a birthday party. God becoming man testifies to a God that trusts His creation. It counter balances the stories of Genesis. The trust level is total, for the child is dependent upon the creation for survival. As adults, we know the whole story of Jesus. We don't know Him only as a baby. So Christmas has to move beyond the birthday party to a sense of this God trusting us once again with His creation. So, how do we care for this creation? Blessed are the poor in spirit, those who hunger and thirst for holiness, the sorrowing, the lowly, those who show mercy, the pure of heart, the peacemaker. Do we see ourselves in this group? Will the Child find us among the blessed? The Child's very coming indicates how much trust God has in the compassion of His creatures. The season moves us to make time and take time for compassion. When we do this we feel good. Someone told me that a surge of warmth ran through her body when she saw a child wearing a gift that she had provided through a giving program. Last year's Confirmation children were amazed at how ordinary the people were who came to the soup kitchen during their community service project. One of the greatest smiles I experienced was a toothless man responding to a kindness. We capture some of this warmth as we watch the excitement of little children tear into their Christmas gifts. Christmas produces a sense of peace and warmth. The compassion of Christmas must somehow become a daily experience. Has the greeting Merry Christmas become simply a seasonal cliche? What makes Christmas merry? Compassion makes Christmas merry. Compassion also adds happiness to daily life. Try it you'll like it!
And, oh yes,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Father Michael Doyle, OSM
The Fourth Sunday of Advent brings us very close to the feast of Christmas and the beginning of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, that will begin in St. Louis on Christmas morning and continue through January 6, 2001, the feast of Epiphany. In the Sunday's readings commentary booklet, Living the Word, the theme for this Sunday is -"All is Ready-Our Advent preparation draws to a close this week. The woman and the hour meet, as we learn in the gospel proclamation. The stars are all aligned. Heaven and earth are ready. All hearts and hearths are prepared to welcome God, who wishes more to be among us than we can sometimes know or bear or accommodate. David is surprised. Mary is ready. Paul is overwhelmed. And we?"
Are we ready? Reflecting on this question a few days before this Sunday I would definitely say "no, not there yet!" But I hope and pray to be ready as I can be by following Mary's path given in this Sunday's gospel-her yes to God's call to be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit to conceive and bear Jesus the Messiah, the Word of God. The more I am led and overshadowed by the Spirit, the more I am ready to receive the Christmas Blessing, such as the following prayer poem expresses.
May the Christmas season
neither rush nor crush you.
May it snow
only when you want it to.
May Christ's peace
be the best gift
you receive this Christmas.
May your children be surprised
by at least one amazing Christmas gift,
but get what they need
and enjoy what they get.
And may the Lord Jesus
be born again under your tree,
in your heart, and in the lives
of all those you meet and greet
this Christmas. Amen
-Andrew Costello
Our Father
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day
our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Father, rich in mercy,
in the life, death and resurrection
of your Son, Jesus Christ,
you have reconciled us to yourself.
Send the Holy Spirit among us
that we may seek
the forgiveness of our sins, and,
united as your sons and daughters,
call you "Abba," Father. Amen
