St. Peter Lithuanian Parish at 75 Flaherty Way, South Boston, MA 02127 US - WEEKEND:
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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT - 12-22-2002 There is one little sentence throughout our readings today which really defines these last few days of preparation for the birth of the Messiah. They are simply: The Lord is with you. In the days of King David, the House of the Lord was still the tent that the Israelites had used during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after escaping from Egypt. David was feeling guilty because he had built himself a palace made of expensive imported wood while God was still in his mobile home. So he wanted to build the Lord a proper temple. He consulted the prophet Nathan in this decision and Nathan told David to do what he had to do. His decision was right Nathan assured the king because "The Lord is with you." Better than 1,000 years later, the Archangel Gabriel spoke these same few words to Mary: "The Lord is with you." to assure her that she was God's highly favored daughter and to announce to her that she would conceive and bear a son who would be her son and God's son. The Lord was to once again pitch his tent amongst the humanity he had created. But this time not just amongst us, through Mary he set up living as one of us. The beginning of the Gospel of John assures us of that. The Greek original of it states literally "The Word was made flesh and pitched his tent with us." In other words, God set up living in our world just like the rest of us. Now, almost 2,000 years later, these same words, "The Lord is with you", assures us that God has not abandoned God's dwelling place in our midst. God continues to be with us, in our midst, in the Christ. The Lord is with you. The message can be no simpler. This is pure, distilled, unadulterated good news which Advent has been trying to tell us and Christmas will definitely show us. That is, our Lord and God Jesus the Christ, our Savior IS, that is not past, not future, but present, here and now, this moment of this day, this (Saturday evening/Sunday morning). With, that is not against, not beyond and out of reach, but in our midst. You, that is, each one of you, you and me, all of us here today. The several times during Mass that the priest says "The Lord be with you", he claims and describes our awesome situation that the Lord is with us - in the living word of the gospel, in us, God's people who gather and call upon God's name, in his real body and blood in the tabernacle, which by the way, means tent, and soon to be on the altar to be given as our living daily bread. Let these five little words, "The Lord is with you." sink deeply into our minds and hearts during these final days of Advent to prepare us for the coming feast of the Lord coming among us as human. Let these words remind us of his presence and all this means to us. Let him remind us that we were not abandoned, that we were and are never alone, that we are heard by the God who loves us because he is close enough to hear us. Let the presence of God with us be our consolation, help, strength and joy that we may be prepared for the Lord's coming.....and also that we may prepare others for his appearance by living in such a way that our very lives proclaim the liberating truth that "The Lord is with you." 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time 9-29-2002 There is something about being told what to do which really tends to bug the average human person. Whether it be parents, teachers, speed limit signs or the law itself, we have a strong urge in us to do otherwise. Sometimes we struggle within our hearts to do what we are told. This is the case in our first reading. Ezekiel listens to the cry of the people who do not want to be told what to do, even if it is God's own law. They even complain to God. Ezekiel invites them to look again, this time at themselves. Such a complaint may be similar to our own. For we are Catholics, and therefore belong to a faith which for the last 2,000 years has not been afraid to speak up on matters, both of faith and of morals. Some of these teachings have caused quite an uproar with both those outside our fold as well as with those within. There may be some of us here who personally struggle with a specific teaching of our faith. Jesus, in today's gospel, shows that he appreciates we who struggle and offers guidelines on how just to go about it. This is done through the two sons in their response to their father. Both do not want to do what their father has asked of them. The first appeases the father. By telling him yes, he appears to be obedient, but in reality is nothing but a liar. He has no concept of what struggle is and thinks he knows enough so that he does not even attempt to reconcile himself with his father's request. The other son is initially outraged. While saying no with his lips, he struggles within his heart. Because he is willing to preserve his bond with his father, he dwells on what his father has asked him and, still struggling, goes to work for his father. There is the lesson for those of us who struggle with church teaching. God understands those of us who struggle, but also expects an earnest effort on our behalf. We are not to be like the first son and proclaim we are Catholic every Sunday, then have no intention of following church teaching, even in public. Jesus calls us today, as members of his one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, to live what we claim to believe on Sundays. For a lot of us, this includes struggling within our hearts. To give up that struggle is to give up on 2,000 years of teaching and tradition. There are many known saints, as well as many more unknown, who have struggled with church teaching, yet have remained in the church to do great things as they did so. Yes, there is a side of us that always wants to reject what we have been told to do. However, with God's grace we are able to recognize this, struggle with it, and still carry on our lives as good Catholic Christians.