The Holy Spirit rested on Jesus to ultimately rest on all flesh. His journey of the cross and resurrection was to impart the spirit on everyone. The climax of Jesus ministry is not culminated in cross and resurrection but in the ascension and Pentecost. Jesus submerged all humanity in that river of fiery justice. Christ mediates the self imparting God that breathes new life in our condemned and dying flesh. ~ Fr. Matt
The wise men found the infant Jesus in a house some days after Jesus had been born in a stable. Their coming may have occurred around the days of Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple forty days after His birth when Simeon prophesied that Jesus was both “a revealing Light to the Gentiles” and “a Sign of contradiction” (Lk 2:32, 34, our transl). Possibly the wise men were wise because they did not contradict Jesus, a Sign of contradiction.
Because they believed the star of Bethlehem was announcing the birth of the King of the Jews, the wise men followed the star, prostrated themselves before Jesus, and “presented Him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Mt 2:11). The actions of the wise men did not contradict Jesus. However, Herod, after having said he would offer Jesus homage (Mt 2:8), contradicted himself and tried to murder Jesus (Mt 2:16).
We too contradict Jesus and ourselves when we say:
There may be other contradictions in our lives. Yet the wise men and women are not contradictory; they are prostrate in worship of Jesus.
The visitation of the Magi reveals our need to look for the Lord outside of our “tribe”, where we feel comfortable and in control. The revelation of God’s saving power outside the tribe of Israel urges us to be inclusive in our relationships and acknowledge that Jesus came to save us all.
Shakespeare said the world is a stage and we are all players in the theater of life. Others say life is a party or game. Job said life was a drudgery (Jb 7:1). The Lord reveals to us that life is a Passover (see Lk 2:41) — a communal celebration of our God-given freedom from slavery. Life is not just a nostalgic look at Passovers past, but a living of Passover present. Life is losing Christ for three days (see Lk 2:46), being crucified and buried with Him (Rm 6:3-4), and searching for the Lord in sorrow (Lk 2:48; Jn 20:15). Life is also finding Christ and rising with Him “on the third day” (Lk 2:46; Jn 20:16).
All of this is “the Father’s business” (Lk 2:49, our translation). This is everyday life and family life. This is the way of holiness in life and in family. We become holy by becoming like God (see 1 Pt 1:15-16). We become like God by being baptized into Jesus’ death and Resurrection (Rm 6:3ff) and living our Baptisms through daily crosses and repeated experiences of the Resurrection. As our lives become Passovers, we and our families become holy. Like Jesus, we progress “steadily in wisdom and age and grace before God and men” (Lk 2:52). Holy Family, pray for us.
As we begin the new year let us consider that the word of God’s face is always plural reflecting our attitudes, sentiments, and personality. At the threshold of 2019 may we ask for divine prosperity, presence, and peace. May we be surprised at the unique ways God will touch our lives. Let us think and live outside the box. ~ Fr. Matt
In the days before modern global communications, messengers ran or walked to deliver their news transmissions. They brought news from loved ones in far-off places to people who could not travel. These messengers were most welcome couriers.
Today, on this Christmas Day, we celebrate a pair of tiny, beautiful feet (Is 52:7) — those of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In times past God sent His messages “in fragmentary and varied ways…through the prophets” (Heb 1:1). “In this, the final age, He has spoken to us through His Son,” Jesus Christ, the Messenger from heaven (Heb 1:2). In Jesus, we have been given the best possible news: the fullness of divine revelation and the establishment of the Church, the Body of Christ, so that God’s messages will continue.
We who live on this earth resemble the folks from centuries past. They longed for news of far-off loved ones, but could not receive it without the intervention of a messenger. We long for news from heaven, but cannot receive it without hearing from the Messenger. Jesus is the One sent from heaven, Who knows what He is saying (see Jn 3:11-13). Therefore, believe Jesus. Prostrate yourself before Him. Choose the better portion — to sit at His beautiful feet, listen to His words (Lk 10:39-42), and believe and obey Him.
At the Christmas liturgies, in hundreds of nations, billions of people will look at statues or pictures of the body of Baby Jesus. Moreover, hundreds of millions of people always carry with them crucifixes depicting the crucified body of Jesus. There is something awesome and mysterious about the body of Jesus.
When the body of Jesus was just beginning to be formed shortly after Mary conceived Him, Mary took Jesus’ body “into the hill country to a town of Judah, where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leapt in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:39-41). The first days of the presence of Jesus’ body on earth resulted in an explosion by the Holy Spirit.
Several months later, wise men saw the body of Baby Jesus and were compelled to give Him gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Mt 2:11).
Several years later, thousands of people touched “just the tassel” of the cloak clothing Jesus’ body, and “all who touched Him got well” (see Mk 6:56).
Today, we can touch the body of Christ in even more powerful and intimate ways by loving the Body of Christ, the Church (see Eph 5:25ff), and especially by receiving the Body of Christ in Holy Communion. That is why the season beginning Tuesday is called “Christmas,” for at Mass we touch Christ’s Body.
“Mary Christ-Mass”! Like Mary, receive the Body of Christ in your body.
On the Fourth Sunday of Advent we have the final countdown to the celebration of the birth of our Savior. What are the lessons we learned over the past four weeks? Are we ready to renew a sense of awe and thankfulness in our lifestyle? As you feel the embrace of love from your significant others, remember the source is found in Jesus’ love for you. ~Fr. Matt
The Lord, through St. Paul, commands and graces us to rejoice in Him always (Phil 4:4). No matter how many problems we have, no matter how bad we feel — the fact that we are “in the Lord” dwarfs everything else. How can we let a little cloud or two eclipse the Son? When we fix our eyes on Jesus (Heb 12:2), the Son of God (Mk 1:1), He will reveal to us our heavenly Father (Lk 10:22; Jn 14:6), Who is the Source of our joy. Jesus and the Holy Spirit will show us our Abba (see Gal 4:6) rejoicing over each one of us with gladness and renewing us in His love (Zep 3:17). We will see the reality that God Himself, our Abba, is at this moment singing joyfully because of us, His adopted children (Rm 8:15; Zep 3:17). Abba’s joyous singing is quite contagious — especially for His children. In the presence of Abba, we find ourselves breaking out into song and singing our parts in the Trinitarian musical. Our everlasting songs of joy drown out our passing sorrows. We “rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice!” (Phil 4:4)
On this Third Sunday of Advent John the Baptizer is appealing to our seemingly humdrum lives. It’s more fun to a do a heroic deed than to find fulfillment in doing our daily duties. It requires strength and commitment in which we do not give in to a simple resignation of what is necessary for our family’s health and welfare. Conversion becomes the hidden principle permeating the routing of our lives as a whole. ~ Fr. Matt