Saturday, December 31, 2011

New Year Blessing

One of my favorite Catholic traditions is the blessing of the home at the New Year.  It's a wonderful way to start the New Year and I recommend it to you.

Here's a link (click here) to the Prayer of Blessing that you can do at your home.

There's also the tradition of marking the lintel of your door with the following 'blessing':

20 + C + M + B + 12

With a piece of chalk, write that on the lintel of your front door, or maybe on the door leading into the room where your family spends most of the time: like the kitchen or family room.

The letters stand for the first names of the three Wise Men who came from the east to see Jesus. While the Bible doesn't record their names, a document from the year 500 does: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar.  The blessing ask for their intercession on your home and family.

The letters also stand for a Latin blessing: Christus mansionem, benedicat. "May Christ bless this house."

Peace and blessings on you and your family this New Year!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Christmas Homily

[Stay tuned for audio availability.]

"What Child is This?"


What Child is this, who laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping?

-It is estimated that approximately 353,000 babies are born each day around the world. Odds are that most of them are pretty routine, pretty normal. But no doubt, some of them are total miracles: babies who beat the odds on any number of ‘abnormalities’ and that live on to take breath. I don’t know what the birth rate was back in first century Palestine, I don’t know how many babies were born on the day we celebrate today, but what I do know, is that in a small town called Bethlehem a child was born and when he was born, a birth came to be that was foretold and prefigured and prepared by God in the Sacred Scripture and Revelation for 4000 years, a star rested above a manger, and Angels visited shepherds and told them to go and follow the star. So perhaps there’s no big surprise that we begin with questions: who is this child? Who are the Angels singing about? Why are they singing? What is so special about this child; this baby?

Why lies he in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear: for sinners here the silent Word is pleading.

-And when they find this baby he is wrapped in a simple garment, and lying in a manger- a feeding trough for farm animals. And perhaps this is the greatest of all mysteries, and the basic of all questions: why the Star; why the Angels; who is the this child?

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and Angels sing; Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.

-This is her child, but he more than just her child. He is Christ, the King of the Jews. The prophecy foretold for thousands of years has come to pass and here is the long-awaited savior, the Messiah. He is not only the son of Mary; He is the Son of God- Jesus- He who will save us from our sins. He has not come with trumpet blast; he has not come with an army and fanfare; he has not lit the horizon on fire to signal his coming. No, he has come with as a Silent Word, and he is already pleading: come to me!

So bring him incense, gold and myrrh, come peasant, king to own him, the King of kings, salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone him.

-So, come peasants, kings, fallen away Catholics, rich, poor, gay, straight, conservative, liberal, black, white, divorced, wounded, broken, and tired: COME and meet this remarkable baby; this tiny baby. He is here, in this Word, the very word that foretold his coming and that he himself spoke; teaching us, encouraging us, challenging us. He is here in this Eucharist: present to us to taste and see Him. He is here in this community: when we are gathered here He is present among us in our shared prayer, our shared blessings, and our shared pain. 

So come, and don’t bring anything: you don’t need money, you don’t need to be holy; if you want to bring anything, bring your pain, your baggage and skeletons; bring your fear and doubt and anxiety and anger; bring your entire self and everything about you and hear what this tiny baby is whispering to each one of us, as he reaches us his arms to you: Hold me, enthrone me in your heart, and I will hold you.

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and Angels sing; this, this is Christ the King, the Babe, the Son, our brother!

Amen.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas gang!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Merry Christmas to all of you! Peace to you and to your family.

Traditionally, at the Mass at Dawn, the Christmas Proclamation is made.  Click here to read the Proclamation.

Enjoy the celebration!

Friday, December 23, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 4th Friday


O Antiphon for December 23rd

We pray + in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“O Emmanuel, our King and Lawgiver, the awaited of the nations, the Savior of all people: Come to 
save us, Lord our God.”

Reflection: That name- Emmanuel- a Hebrew word meaning God is with us!  And then the Aramaic word, Maranatha- meaning Come, Lord Jesus! We use those words during Advent, although Maranatha is used more during the Easter season. Nevertheless, the Hope of Maranatha is made present and real when we proclaim Emmanuel.  And here we enter into the great mystery of the Church. We live in an "Already but not yet" tension. A middle ground that at once rejoices in Emmanuel, and yet Hopes for Maranatha! Jesus who makes himself manifest to us in Word, Sacrament, Prayer and acts of Love is here, present, real, right now- Emmanuel!  And yet we wait for His coming, his Second Coming, his total manifestation in the flesh when we will no longer need Word or Sacrament and our Prayers and acts of Love will come to fruition- Maranatha! What a beautiful mystery! What a beautiful tension! What a beautiful thing of which to be a part! 

We pray: Almighty ever-living God, as we see how the Nativity of your Son according to the flesh draws near, we pray that to us, your unworthy servants, mercy may flow from your Word, who chose to become flesh of the Virgin Mary and establish among us his dwelling, Jesus Christ our Lord. He who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us. St. John of Kanty, pray for us.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 4th Thursday


O Antiphon for December 22, 2010

We pray + in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“O King of all the nations, the one they long for, the cornerstone which makes all sides one: Come, and save humankind, whom you formed from the dust of the earth.”

Reflection: Sometimes I like to pray with this image of Jesus Christ as a cornerstone. The largest of all the stones in the wall, and in the whole building, it is the cornerstone that supports all the other stones. I don't know how many stones I carry around with me all the time. How many things weigh me down and keep me from becoming the man, the catholic, the priest that God is calling me to be. Sometimes there are many stones and it's very heavy; other times, not so much. Regardless of the size and number the invitation today is to place those stones upon the cornerstone and let Jesus build a church, a community, a home out of them.  He is the cornerstone and it is only in Him, through Him, and with Him that those burdens become useful building blocks. So, what are we carrying today? What burdens us? In prayer, take them to Him, lay them upon Him, and let Him use them to build you up, to strengthen you, and to build a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit in your heart.

We pray: O God, who, seeing the human race fallen into death, willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son, grant, we pray, that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor may merit his company as their Redeemer. We ask this through Him who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 4th Wednesday

O Antiphon for December 21st

We pray + in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“O Radiant Dawn, the brightness of the eternal light and sun of justice: Come, shine on those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death.”

Reflection: For many centuries, and especially in Europe, Catholic churches were built so that the congregation would be facing east as that sat or stood during the Mass. I’m sure we’ve all seen some remarkable sunrises: getting up early, grabbing a cup of coffee or a diet coke, a nice place to sit, and turn east, waiting for the rising of the sun: a new day, another day! This is the same idea with building churches so the congregation could face East: gather together, offer this Eucharist, and then wait for the rising, the coming, of the Son! A question for our prayer today: as we approach the coming of Jesus at Christmas, are we looking in the right direction? Or we focused “east”; or are we distracted by something in the past, something bathed in shadows; something that might be hiding the true meaning of December 25th?  Nothing quite like a good sunrise: let’s Hope not to miss it!

We pray: Hear in kindness, O Lord, the prayers of your people, that those who rejoice at the coming of your Only Begotten Son in our flesh may, when at last he comes in glory, gain the reward of eternal life. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.  St. Peter Canisius, pray for us.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 4th Tuesday

O Antiphon for December 20th

We pray + In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"O Key of David, and ruler of the house of Israel: you open, and no one closes; you close, and no one opens. Come, and deliver your imprisoned people, sitting in darkness and the shadow of death."

Reflection: Moses led the people out of the imprisoned slavery that oppressed them in Egypt. Jesus leads us out of the imprisoned slavery to sin and mortal death that oppresses us here and now. True freedom, the kind of freedom that only Jesus can give, awaits us when at last we lose this 'mortal coil' and slip into the destiny prepared for us from the beginning of time. But in order to enter into this new freedom, Jesus must be born inside of us. He must radiate from us in our words, actions and prayer. He must be known to us, in us, and through us. We must become 'alter Christus'- another Christ. We go to daily prayer, Eucharist, and the reading of Scripture to learn how to be like Jesus Christ. And then we make our fervent prayer: Jesus, be born in me!

We pray: O God, eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word the immaculate Mary received through the message of an Angel and so became the dwelling-place of divinity, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant, we pray, that by her example we may in humility hold fast to your will. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 4th Monday

O Antiphon for December 19th

We pray + in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"O Root of Jesse, you stand as a sign for all people; in your presence kings stand mute and nations worship before you: Come to free us, delay no longer."

Reflection: We're going multimedia today: click on this link. This will take you to a favorite song of mine. Listen and then come back and offer the prayer.

We pray: O God, who through the child-bearing of the holy Virgin graciously revealed the radiance of your glory to the world, grant, we pray, that we may venerate with integrity of faith the mystery of so wondrous an Incarnation and always celebrate it with due reverence. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 4th Sunday

The O Antiphon for December 18th
We pray + in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“O Mighty God, and leader of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: Come to set us free by your outstretched arm.”

Reflection: Standing at the shore of the Red Sea, the Father commanded Moses to stretch out his arms, and He would make the sea divide in two, thus enabling the Israelites to escape from the pursuing Egyptians and their persecution and slavery, and so enter into the Promised Land. Next, the Father sent his Son, Jesus, and offered him the Cross as the means by which we would escape from the bonds of our slavery to Sin and Death and so enter into the Promised Land of Heaven. Jesus accepts and stretches out his arms on the Cross, opening for us the gates of Paradise. And in this He exchanges His sacred humanity for the fullness of Divinity- an exchange that He now offers to us. So, approach the Him and lean in to the Christ Child, lying there in His manger, whisper to Him: Jesus, stretch out your arms to welcome and embrace me.

We pray: Pour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ your Son was made known by the message of an Angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. We ask this through Him who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 3rd Saturday


The “O Antiphon” for December 17.

“O Wisdom, which comes forth from the mouth of the Most High, permeating all of the universe, disposing all things with strength and tenderness: Come to teach us the path of prudence.”

Reflection: There are seven “O Antiphons”. They are found in the Old Testament (although they are often combinations of several verses found throughout the prophetic books) and refer to Jesus Christ under the titles He is called there. They have two parts: first, an acclamation proclaiming Jesus as coming from the Father, the Messiah; the second part is a petition.  By proclaiming Him, in this case the Wisdom that comes from the Father, we then ask Him to teach us the virtue of prudence.  Traditionally, the O Antiphons are offered by those who pray the Divine Office. The O Antiphons are part of the Church's liturgy and prayer for the seven days immediately preceding Christmas.

We pray: O God, Creator and Redeemer of human nature, who willed that your Word should take flesh in an ever-virgin womb, look with favor on our prayers, that your Only Begotten Son, having taken to himself our humanity, may be pleased to grant us a share in his divinity. We ask this through Him who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Advent Daily Dose - 3rd Friday


We pray + in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (5:33-36).

Jesus said to the Jews: “You sent emissaries to John, and he testified to the truth. I do not accept testimony from a human being, but I say this that you may be saved. John was a burning and shining lamp, and for a while you were content to rejoice in his light. But I have testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father gave me to accomplish, these works that I perform testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.”

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection: “This is the meaning of the Incarnation. God became tangible, in order to teach us to find him in all that we touch and see and feel, for we are necessarily bound to the senses in this life. Jesus did not do away with these external contacts; what he taught us is not to stop at them…We must endeavor, therefore, to cultivate this spiritual ‘second sight’. It is the secret of the saints, for whom this world is not an obstacle between their souls and God, but a living image, a resplendent mirror of his goodness and beauty. It is this great reality, so utterly beyond our conception, that the Incarnation made possible: that by loving and imitation Jesus incarnate, we love and imitate God self” (Dom Augustin Guillerand, a Carthusian Monk who died in 1945. His famous book is called The Prayer in the Presence of God.)

We pray: May your grace, almighty God, always go before us and follow after, so that we, who await with heartfelt desire the coming of your Only Begotten Son, may receive your help both now and in the life to come. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us.

+In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.