6th Day in the Octave of Christmas

1 John 2: 12-17; Lk 2: 36-40

Dc. Larry Brockman

Focus!  If only we could focus on love of the Lord, and not love of things of this world then we would be more pleasing to God.  That’s the message that comes across from John this morning.   

Now, there is the interesting story of Anna the prophetess as an example.  She was truly focused on Love of the Lord.  Widowed just 7 years into her marriage, and they married young in her time, Anna lived alone as a widow for probably 60 years or more.  Here is a woman who was living the expected life at the time- married, devoted to a husband, focused on her life in the world and then suddenly, in the prime of life, she is a widow.  In the Old Testament times, being a widow was the most painful plight for a woman.  No matter how you look at it, that was a wake up call for Anna.  She was forced by the death of her husband to focus on what life was really all about.  I don’t detect any bitterness.  Rather, Anna trusted in God and was patient.  So, she dedicated her life to prayer and hope, rather than bitterness and focusing on things of the world.  She was content with the life of uncertainty that the Lord had dealt her, waiting, just waiting for decades and decades, for the coming of the promised Messiah.   

Each one of us starts out in life focused on things of the world.  That’s inevitable, because virtually all children focus on themselves and learning how to live in the world.  We grow into maturity, and learn about a higher purpose, something other than what the world has to offer.  Sometimes we do that with the help of our parents; sometimes by our own reflection; and sometimes by the school of hard knocks, like Anna did.  But in any event, we make a choice during the process- a choice to make the world and the things of the world our primary focus; or to balance the necessity to live in the world with a primary focus on God.  And the essence of focusing on God, the essence of Love of God, is patience and trust.  These are the virtues that are the foundation of Faith in God.  God’s will for us is not necessarily something we can map out, something that we can direct.  Rather, we need to learn the lesson that Anna learned- to be patient and trusting as the Lord guides us on his path for us even when things look the most bleak.   

The coming of the Christ Child changed everything.  Until then, the world seemed the ultimate in human experience.  Life everlasting was just a vague promise.  But with Christ, all that changed.  The Messiah that was promised became real, one of us.  And so, forever more, our primary focus must always be on God: when we are basking in prosperity; when we are just trying to make it in life; and even when we are miserable in hurt or sickness because “the world and its enticements are passing away.  But whoever does the will of the Father remains forever”!   

 

Thursday of 4th Week of Advent

Mal 3: 1-4, 23-24; Lk 1: 57-66

Dc. Larry Brockman

In this season when we are expecting the joy of the coming of Jesus, why such somber talk about refining Gold and Silver?  Well, in the Gospel, this messenger sent by God, John the Baptist, talked about getting ready for the coming of Jesus.  John preached asking for forgiveness and then repentance, and he used a public a ritual of Baptism to symbolize a person’s acceptance of that conversion of the heart.  So, that’s how John foresaw getting ready for the coming of Jesus.  We must show our willingness to seek forgiveness of sins, and repent of our ways that led to those sins so that when Jesus comes, we will be truly ready for him.     

In today’s world, there is a troubling trend:  People downplay the seriousness of their sins.  Instead of participating in such a public ritual as John the Baptist performed, or even the public confessions that were practiced in the early Church, where one makes a public commitment to conversion, we have been blessed with private confession where we make that commitment to conversion to the priest.  That’s important- because human nature being what it is, we all have to face the need for accountability, not just for what we did or failed to do, but for our commitment to change, our conversion.  The priest serves as Jesus himself in that confessional and is bound to secrecy.  And yet, in recent years, people don’t seem to take advantage of this wonderful Sacrament.  Is it because they are sinless?  Is anyone sinless?  I think that the devil prompts us to sweep our sins under the carpet where we try to forget about them.  And though we may ask for forgiveness, do we really make a commitment to make a change?    Listen to the prophet Malachi’s words, because if we are not prepared when Jesus comes: then Jesus will purify us like refining of gold or silver or the threshing of wheat.  And that is meant to sound ominous, foreboding, and painful because ultimately we are accountable to God; we cannot hide that or sweep it under the carpet. 

Another thing stands out about the refining of gold and silver.  These are valuable, aren’t they?  So even in the midst of a very sobering message of painful refining or threshing, there is a beautiful message for all of us- that God sees us as so very valuable to him in our converted state, as valuable as the finest Gold or Silver.   

 

Thursday of 3rd Week of Advent

Is 54: 1-10; Lk 7: 24-30

Dc. Larry Brockman

He leaves all of us for a brief moment, doesn’t He?  For some of us, He leaves us for 80 or 90 years or more; others never make it out of their mother’s womb.  But He abandons all of us, and I’m just using His words from Isaiah.  Yes, we are abandoned and given the opportunity to make a choice on our own- a choice highlighted in today’s Gospel.  A choice that the Jewish people of John the Baptist’s time, including the lowest of low, the tax collectors who collaborated with the Romans, were given the freedom to make.  We are all given the choice to find God; accept Him; believe in Him; and be Baptized and follow His lead from the Gospel; or to reject Him and his teachings for something else, like the Pharisees and scholars of the law did.  That’s what it comes down to.  God abandons us so we can exercise our own free will.   

Now, as Isaiah goes on to say, it doesn’t matter what we have done in the time we have been abandoned by Him.  When we choose God and his will for us going forward, he will welcome us back and treat us like that abandoned wife that was welcomed back.  In fact, in God’s time, He abandoned us for just an instant- that is all.  Because we will have an eternity left with Him in the Kingdom of God.  And so whatever sufferings we endured while we were abandoned- failed relationships; physical or mental pain; hard lives; whatever, will ultimately seem like just an instant in time.  That’s what the good news of the coming of Jesus is all about.  Because when He comes this Christmas, if we really believe in Him as the Son of God, all can be well for us.  We can be totally happy knowing that we will at least be the least in the Kingdom of God for all eternity.   

Not so for the Pharisees and scholars of the law.  Unlike the average people of their time, the Pharisees and scholars knew too much.  They were not open to the real thing when it appeared in front of them.  They were blinded to the simplicity of the message.  Indeed, they had expectations of what the Messiah would be like, expectations that prevented them from “accepting the plan of God for themselves”.  You see, they thought the Messiah would come to save them physically from their woes.   

And so, let us strive not to fall into the same trap.  Ask yourself what kind of a Messiah are you looking for?  Is He one who will answer your expectations for saving you from the trials and tribulations of this World?  Or is He a Messiah who comes into your heart this Christmas just to whisper to you the “plan of God” for you, hard as it may be in the brief instant of time that is your life relative to the infinite time of God’s eternity. 

 

Thursday of 2nd Week of Advent

Is 41: 13-20; Mt 18: 12-14

Dc. Larry Brockman

Have you ever just barely made it in the door before it shut for good?  Perhaps you were the last one on a plane or a bus or the subway; or the last one to get into a concert or sports stadium or movie theatre.  But you made it, and that’s what mattered.  What a feeling of relief that was, and maybe even a sense of joy.  But there are those who don’t make it.  For them, there is sadness and maybe even anger and frustration.  How dreadful is that feeling.   

Now just imagine how much more dreadful it would be not to make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Sadly, there are those who will find the gates of heaven closed to them.  Just imagine how dreadful that would be.  In contrast, what a feeling of euphoria one would have knowing that they had made it on the other side of that threshold between heaven and hell, even if they were the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.   

Now we are told this morning that John the Baptist is the greatest of those born of a woman.  And yet, the least, yes, the very least in the Kingdom of Heaven, is greater than he.  I don’t know about you, but that is a very sobering thought because John was a man who devoted his whole life to being God’s messenger; heralding the coming of the Lord; heralding the advent of his cousin Jesus.  He avoided things and pleasures of this world.  Rather, he thought and acted only on the Mission God had given him.  So, when I reflect on the life of John the Baptist, I am quite sure I don’t measure up to him.  I cannot say that my life is totally dedicated to God like John’s was.  Can you say that?  Does that mean that we can’t even be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven?   

Well, fortunately for us, it does not.  Listen again to what the prophet Isaiah said:  “I am the Lord your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you “Fear not, I will help you””.  We have to believe, really believe, that Jesus came to save us all and that no matter what we do, if we believe and are truly sorry for our sins, and we ask for the help, it will be ours; and so will the Kingdom of Heaven when we come to that gate at the end of our lives. 

 

Thursday of 1st Week of Advent

Is 26: 1-6; Mt 7: 21, 24-27

Dc. Larry Brockman

What kind of a foundation is your life built on?  You know, today’s Gospel story talks about two houses- one built on sand, and the other built on rock.  Have you ever thought about the fact that the houses themselves were actually built identically?  There is nothing in the Gospel to indicate anything different.  From all external appearances, they would then look pretty much the same to start because only the foundations were different; and so, only the ability of the houses to stand up to the storms was different.   

Now, just think about all of us human beings for a minute.  We are all built nearly identically as well.  We all have mouths and noses and feet and eyes in the same places.  We are all born as babies, and we are nourished in our formative years by our mothers; and so when we grow up, from external appearances, we are all pretty much alike.   

But then sometime during the course of our lives, we are buffeted by storms of one kind or another.  The storms are the things outside of us that enter into our lives- the environment that we face each day; the people we meet that influence us; and the circumstances that present themselves that force us to make decisions- decisions about play and school and work and marriage and all the rest.  These are all normal storms of life, the tide of real life that confronts each and every one of us.  And no matter how isolated we would like to be from these storms; we are all still confronted with the reality of life.   

The thing that matters the most when we are confronted by the tide of life is this:  Just what is the foundation that our lives were built on?  Is it an absolute truth, like the values represented in the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Or is our foundation one that is relative- relative to the times; relative to the person who has our ear today; or relative to whatever seems the easiest course of action.  Because if you embrace a foundation that is relative, that means you can be floating all over the place, taking this position today and that tomorrow.  Eventually, you will be torn to pieces, just like the house built on sand because that floating foundation means that you never come to grips with what is right or wrong, and that will eventually tear you apart inside.   

Make your foundation a solid one- solid as rock.  Listen to what the Gospel preaches.  It is consistent and although it may be hard at times, you always know where you are- safe with Jesus Christ. 

 

Thursday of 33rd Week of Ordinary Time

Dedication of Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul

Rev 5: 1-10; Lk 19: 41-44

Dc. Larry Brockman

“If only you knew what makes for peace”.  Such were Jesus’ words as he prophesied the fate of Jerusalem.  In their blindness, the people of Jesus’ time did not recognize the Messiah.  They were looking for someone who was powerful and mighty in worldly terms, someone who could negate the coming military defeat of the Israelis, as if defeating the Romans on their terms would  “Make for Peace”.  And that’s the point.  It would not make for peace.  Establishing a powerful, worldly, kingdom that could subdue all opposition with force. will not make for peace.  And that has been demonstrated over and over again in the history of the world- China, the Mongols, Persia, Greece, Rome, the great Moslem Califates, Great Britain, Nazi Germany, and even the United States have proven that point over and over. 

So, what is it that we all need to recognize that makes for peace?  Well, that’s what Jesus came here for.  His Gospel provides us the roadmap.  It is a peace which is characterized by belief in God as the primary value.  It is a peace which is characterized by love of others, not of self.  It is a peace which is characterized by a focus on seeking and finding the will of God, not comfort in this life because all things, even the great temple of the Jews, will pass away in this world.  And the clearest example of our fragility, is that each of us, no matter how powerful or weak, rich or poor, talented in earthly skills or not- will pass away too.  What is left is the Kingdom of God. 

Our challenge as Christians is to live our lives worthily, making every effort to do God’s will,  While we live in a physical world that demands that we have food and shelter; that we have jobs and raise families and use our God given talents;  at the same time we must keep our focus on the ultimate goal, a spiritual goal- life in the Kingdom of God.  It’s called balance- and it precludes envy, lust, gluttony, and all the other seven deadly sins, because the focus of them is not on our ultimate goal- a primary focus on recognizing God’s presence in our lives  That is what makes for peace. 

Thursday of 32nd Week of Ordinary Time

St. Martin of Tours

Phlm 7-20; Lk 17: 20-25

Dc. Larry Brockman

 

This is the first day of the rest of your life!  An old cliché, yes. but an accurate way to sum up the essence of the Kingdom of God.  Because today, all of us who are saved, those who believe; those whose eyes are open to what God wants them to do in their lives; these people are already experiencing the Kingdom of God, for it is right there among them, just as Jesus said..   

Now you might say to yourself:  “How can that be?  Is this all there is to the Kingdom of God?  What about the everlasting joy that was promised?  Surely this cannot be it; this imperfect world with all its problems and evil and sickness and pain.   

Well, just suppose that the key to the Kingdom of God is this:  That God gave us life and love, And that the love of God, when we believe in it and cooperate with it so that it dwells in us, guarantees us everlasting life.  Well then, on the day in your life when you come to embrace all that, that is the first day of your life when you are living in eternity.  You are already experiencing the Kingdom of God.  And nobody can ever take that away from you.  That is the promise.  Yes, you may get sick or old; and you will even die in this world, but when you believe that such a death is just the beginning of our eternal life with the God who is the source of all life, then the joy of knowing we will live forever with God is ours.  And that is a joy that transcends all the rest of the pain in our lives.  That joy can and should already be with us.   

The world, on the other hand, is looking for joy somewhere else.  Some people seek happiness in the pleasure of things in this world, setting aside belief in God and rejecting the promise- how sad.  Other people seek out the finest music; the clever new message; the most entertaining preacher; in an effort to find the Kingdom of God.  They seek visions of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom that flash before them like lightning because they are seeking the Kingdom of Heaven as if it was hidden away from us and was some deep dark secret rather than listening to the Gospel message of Jesus.   

The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Accept what seems to be such a simple and uncomplicated message: that Christianity’s promise is it.  God loved us so much he sent his son, who suffered, died, and was buried.  He rose, and promised us a place in his Kingdom if we believed and did his will.  When you really embrace all of that, you need not search any further for the truth because this can be the first day of the rest of your life in the Kingdom of God.