Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord - January 8, 2012: A Journey to Wisdom and a Question

Click here for the Mass readings for the Solemnity of Epiphany - January 8, 2012 (Year B):

"...and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." (Matthew 2:11)

I'm back! It's been awhile since I last posted a Sunday reflection (my apologies about that), but "thank you" to those who have gently prodded me to get back to it! The main reason behind my silence is simple - a lack of time. I'll get back to that in a minute and ask your input about a new idea as well. But first, let's get to the reason your reading this blog - the reflection.

There is one simple thought that has captured my attention this Epiphany. Well, this "thought" is actually more than a thought, it's simply a sense of pure admiration for the Magi. Said admiration was stirred up after reading Pope Benedict's homily for Epiphany where he highlighted the caliber of these men from the East.  What do we know about the quality of these wise men?  First off, we know the Magi belonged to the great astronomical tradition that came out of Mesopotamia.  But more importantly, we see there was something else within these men that separated them from the other astronomers of their day, and moved them to leave everything behind and set out on a journey.  The Magi were very knowledgable men, they were "men of science", but they also had wisdom, courage, and humility (a harmonious blend of virtues so needed by our modern world, but unfortunately too infrequently found - but I digress). Since his comments on the natural virtues of the Magi were so beautiful and inspired me to contemplate the mystery of Epiphany from another perspective, I will quote Pope Benedict before asking for your opinion on something:

"They were men with restless hearts, not satisfied with the superficial and the ordinary.... they were watchful men, capable of reading God’s signs, his soft and penetrating language. But they were also courageous, yet humble: we can imagine them having to endure a certain amount of mockery for setting off to find the King of the Jews, at the cost of so much effort. For them it mattered little what this or that person, what even influential and clever people thought and said about them. For them it was a question of truth itself, not human opinion. Hence they took upon themselves the sacrifices and the effort of a long and uncertain journey. Their humble courage was what enabled them to bend down before the child of poor people and to recognize in him the promised King, the one they had set out, on both their outward and their inward journey, to seek and to know."

And now, on to the important question. As I mentioned above, the reason I haven't been posting reflections of late is because of my busy schedule. I've tried different tactics to get a post on the blog by Fridays (like writing a piece at a time during the week), but they just hasn't worked out. I have, however, thought of a possible solution. But since this solution would transform the blog fairly drastically, and seeing that you guys are the ones who use the blog, I want to ask you first for your input and listen to any new ideas you may have before making a move. So here's the possible solution: in place of a weekly written reflection, post a 2 minute(ish) video reflection. The obvious advantage for me would be the time factor...and it might be fun!  But what do you think?!  God bless!

(Photo of the "Tribus Miraculis I" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

PS - If you were looking for more information on the nuts and bolts of the feast of Epiphany, you can read up on it in last year's post. 

Solemnity of Christ the King - November 20, 2011: To Reign Is to Serve

The Mass Readings for the Solemnity of Christ the King - November 20, 2011 (Year A):

"And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Mt 25:40)

The Solemnity of Christ the King always hails the last Sunday of the liturgical year.  Before the new liturgical year opens with the first Sunday of Advent, we celebrate the kingship of Jesus Christ over all creation and His power over every authority, including our worst enemies, evil and death.  Ultimately, the feast calls us to open our lives more widely to Christ so His reign may be clearly visible in the way we think, in the decisions we make, and in the way we use our bodies.

The Gospel reading for this year's feast of Christ the King reminds us of an article of our faith that we tend to forget, namely, that Christ will come to earth once again at the end of time and there will be a final judgment; or in the words of the Creed: "He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end".  But what strikes me about this Sunday's Gospel is the central position that service plays in the final judgment.  It might seem rather simplistic, but it's crucial to observe how often Christ speaks of kingship and authority in the framework of service: to reign is to serve!

If we stop and think of those individuals who serve the poor, clothe the naked, give food to the hungry, and visit the ill and imprisoned, one name usually stands out among others: Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  Mother Teresa served and spoke about the poor everyday, but never without mentioning love or God.  She understood poverty, and the deepest, most pressing needs of humanity, so when she spoke, the world listened - at least with intrigue.

This Sunday's Gospel reminds us that the charity and service demanded by Christ are far more than vague sentiments of compassion for the poor and needy.  We must serve them in reality.  And while we ponder concrete ways in which we can live this Gospel, I'll conclude with a few quotes from Mother Teresa that might inspire an even deeper reflection on the state of poverty present in every nation throughout the world: "Christ said, 'I was hungry and you gave me food.'  He was hungry not only for bread but for the understanding love of being loved, of being known, of being someone to someone."; "Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat."; "Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."; "He was naked not only of clothing but of human dignity and respect, through the injustice that is done to the poor, who are looked down upon simply because they are poor....Do we go out to meet those? Do we know them? Do we try to find them?"

(Photo of the "Rex Regum" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 30, 2011: Proclaiming Liberty to Captives

Click here for Mass readings for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 30, 2011 (Year A):

"They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them." (Mt 23:4)

Friday night I sat in a packed gym listening to an exorcist speak.  Fr. Vincent Lampert, one of the few Vatican trained exorcists in the United States, spoke for two hours about various dimensions to the battle between good and evil.  He emphasized several great points, one of which was the care the Church takes to distinguish between mental disturbances vs true possession, obsession, oppression, or infestation (i.e. varying degrees of the presence and influence of evil).  Fr. Lampert was quick to point out that the Church works to alleviate the suffering of all those who approach an exorcist - whether that means directing people to seek out psychological or psychiatric help, or in the few cases where there is true possession, setting them free from the dominion of the devil and helping them build a true life of prayer, faith, and virtue.

This is obviously a time of the year when many people become intrigued once again with Halloween, evil, the devil, and various forms of paranormal activity - sometimes in an exaggerated or unhealthy manner.  So I thought I'd highlight the main themes found in Sunday's Gospel reading and then reflect on the relationship between Jesus' message and the realm of evil.

Jesus comes on strongly in his rebuke of the scribes and Pharisees this Sunday.  He admonishes them on two main fronts: seeking to secure their own honor and glory in the eyes of others instead of seeking the honor and glory of God, and using their God-given authority to lay up heavy burdens for others and not help out, instead of using their authority to serve, build up, and set people free (see Luke 4:18-19).  Such an abuse of God's authority is ultimately a transgression of the two greatest commandments (the love of God and love of others), which explains Jesus' vehement denouncement.  But what I find intriguing is the correlation between these lessons and Fr. Lampert's talk on exorcisms on Friday night.

In the exorcisms which Fr. Lampert either performed or witnessed, he noted certain common denominators.  First of all, there was the absence of God in the person's life.  Then there was a moment or something that started the person down the wrong path, where a relationship with evil was established - some sort of connection.  Sometimes in the search for a sense of power or control over life (or out of dangerous curiosity), people turned to psychics, mediums, Ouija boards, seances, tarot cards, palm readers, or they began dabbling in white magic or the occult.  All of these things open up doorways to evil and the gravest of problems.  On one hand, God is removed from the picture and faith supplanted by something else - an idol - which exalts itself and strikes at the heart of the first and greatest commandment.  The second correlation between the Gospel and Fr. Lampert's talk has to do with "tying up heavy burdens" for other people.  Similar to the scribes and Pharisees laying heavy burdens on people, those who open themselves to evil begin to discover what real oppression, bondage, and slavery are all about.  Fr. Lampert pointed out the other night that all of those who had at one time been possessed end up recounting the same experience of bondage: "When the demon manifested himself I was a prisoner, conscious of what was taking place, but without control of my body, my movements, my voice, or the words I was saying."  Instead of tying up heavy burdens, the Church uses the God-given authority she has received to set people free of this horrific bondage and suffering, and then builds them up by helping them to establish a real relationship with God through faith and prayer.

Where the Church directs us to honor and glorify God and exhorts us to keep ourselves free from the dominion of sin, the devil works in direct opposition to lead us to glorify something or someone else (often times ourselves) and subtly fall prey to the dark slavery of sin and evil.  While the devil is real and powerful, exorcisms also remind us that He is no match for the power of God.  So let us reconsecrate ourselves to God and Our Lady this Sunday at Mass, and ask Him for the grace to seek always His greater glory and honor in the day to day decisions of life.  May we faithfully reflect the power and splendor of God's love and work to overcome evil with goodness (Romans 12:21).  God bless you!

(Photo of the "No One Comes to the Father but by Me" courtesy of Fr. Lawrence Lew, O.P.)