The Magi were certainly savvy holiday travelers! By arriving in Bethlehem nearly two weeks after Christmas, they managed to avoid the peak fares and the big crowds. I’m kidding, of course, as those headaches didn’t exist in their day. And that’s not the only difference between then and now. Because the places they visited, especially the little town of Bethlehem, are vastly different today than they were two thousand years ago.
When the Magi went from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, we’re not told that they had any problem getting in. Presumably they hopped on their camels and rode straight into town. If they were to try the same thing in 2010, however, it would be a completely different story. Bethlehem today is surrounded on three sides by a 25 foot high wall, which is connected to a 400 mile-long concrete and barbed-wire barrier separating Israel from Palestine. To enter Bethlehem from Jerusalem, the magi would have to pass through Checkpoint 300, the heavily guarded, sole entry to the town where Jesus was born.
This sad reality is a reflection of the ongoing hostilities between Palestinians and Jews. Since 1993, over 8,000 people on both sides have been killed. But, in a certain sense, this is nothing new. Bethlehem and the surrounding country have historically been centers of conflict. Because it stands at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, it has, since the time of Jesus, been overrun by Persian, Byzantine, Muslim, Crusader, Mamluk, Ottoman, Jordanian, British, and Israeli armies. Even the Church of the Nativity, at the traditional site of Jesus’ birth, is a center of conflict. It’s jointly managed by representatives of the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Roman Catholic Churches, and they have ongoing turf battles over different parts of the church. A few years back, Greek and Armenian deacons got into a fistfight, resulting in bloody noses and more bad will.
Yet this is where the Son of God chose to be born. Indeed, this is where God had planned all along that it would happen. But we might ask: Why here, of all places? Why not somewhere else, somewhere, perhaps, more peaceful? The answer of course has much to do with the fact that Jesus was a Jew, a member of God’s specially chosen people. But perhaps there’s another reason. Maybe God chose to enter the human scene in a place of historic conflict because he wants there to be peace on earth. Consider today’s Psalm. It describes the Messiah as a great ruler who would bring justice and peace to his people. This refers to Jesus! And when he came to bring his peace, he chose one place that truly needed it.
Bethlehem needed Christ’s peace 2,000 years ago, and it certainly needs it today. But not only Bethlehem is in need of peace, of course. Pope Benedict acknowledged this once in one of his annual Christmas messages (2007). He welcomed Christmas as a “day of great hope” whose message of peace is desperately needed in a world filled with war, poverty and injustice. When speaking of specific places experiencing conflict, he did mention the Holy Land, where Bethlehem is. He also mentioned many other places by name: Darfur, the Congo, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia, Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Balkans. He acknowledged that there are many other crisis situations that are all-too-often forgotten. And he spoke with special sadness about society’s vulnerable people- children, women, the elderly- who often suffer the most during violent times.
Jesus came to bring peace to people of all times and places. “His message of peace,” said the Holy Father, “is for everyone.” But not everyone embraces Jesus and the peace he brings. This was certainly true at the first Christmas, at which he was welcomed by only Mary, Joseph, a few ragged shepherds, and the mysterious Magi. And the same has been true of every Christmas since then, including this year’s. There have always been those like King Herod, who are hostile to Jesus and his message. But there are far more people who might be open to it, and actually would be glad to hear it, but are too distracted to pay attention to it.
In one Midnight Mass homily, Pope Benedict reminds us that at the first Christmas, Jesus had to be born in a stable, because there was no room in the inn. Many of us are like the inn, he says, because when Jesus comes to us, we don’t make any room for him, because our lives are too full with other things. We’re too busy. We’re too distracted. We’re too selfish. “Does he find room in us?” he asks. “Or have we occupied all the available space in our thoughts, our actions, (and) our lives for ourselves?” Yet God never lets himself be entirely shut out. He always finds a way to get in. There may have been no room for him in the inn. But there was room in the stable, and that was good enough for him and those who welcomed him.
Christmas challenges us to make room for Jesus in our inn, so to speak- to make room inside of us, and in our lives, for him. We need to welcome his message of peace, that it may transform us, and help transform the world. It takes faith. It takes humility. It takes time and effort, and it will probably take a change in our priorities. But it’s possible, and indeed it’s necessary, not just for ourselves, but for the benefit of everyone. We need to become like the Magi, who welcomed Christ in a place and a world filled with conflict, that we might help bring that conflict to an end. So that the peace born at Christmas, may still bless our world today.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas / Feast of the Holy Family
Poor ol’ Charlie Brown. In his TV Christmas special, he has to contend aluminum Christmas trees, his sister’s greedy letter to Santa, Snoopy’s tacky decorations, and a true lack of “good will toward men” on the part of his friends. Finally he cries out in frustration: “Can anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?” Whereupon Linus calls for a spotlight, and beautifully recites the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke’s gospel. This familiar story warns us of the danger that the commercialization and stress associated with Christmas can sometimes obscure the fact that “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
However, you and I face another danger too. Not that the season’s distractions will drown out the Christmas story, but that we’ve heard it so many times that it no longer touches our hearts. It’s become so familiar to us that we’ve become jaded and indifferent. We hear the Christmas gospel proclaimed and think: “Tell me something I don’t already know.” It’s become to us like a song we really liked when it first came out, but then it got overplayed. When we hear it now, we don’t turn up the volume, we roll our eyes and change the channel.
I would imagine that many of us have felt this way, even if just a little bit. So maybe today, like Charlie Brown, we should take a good hard look at what Christmas really is all about. Let’s put aside for a moment all the shepherds, angels, wise men, mangers, and stars shining in the East. They’re all important- don’t get me wrong! But at the heart of Christmas is the amazing, astounding, breathtaking truth that, in Jesus, God became human. God- all powerful, all knowing, the creator of a cosmos billions of light years across- became a fragile, weak, tiny, and completely helpless baby on the first Christmas day. By his own choice, he became one of us.
The proclamation of this wonderful truth struck those who first heard it as a lightning bolt- both the Romans and the Jews. The Romans had their gods of course- Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the whole lot. But by Jesus’ day, no one really cared about or believed in them. There were temples and religious holidays, and people went through the motions, but there was very little in the way of personal faith and devotion. These gods failed to inspire because they were too human, in the negative sense of the word. Their number included murderers and rapists, and they all fell prey to the whole range of human temptations- pride, envy, anger, jealousy, lust. Many Romans understandably found the God of the Jews- our God- as far more attractive. After all, there was only one of him. He was an ethical God who commanded respect, and was worthy of worship and obedience.
Unfortunately, by the time of Jesus’ birth, God was seen as being very far removed from everyday human life. Keeping the law and religious traditions were important, but that had become burdensome and oppressive. There was little appreciation of a personal relationship with God who involved himself in human affairs. God was silent. God was remote.
But with the coming of Jesus, everything changed. In Jesus, God was born, lived, worked, sweated, made friends, had enemies, experienced joy, knew disappointment, laughed, suffered, and died. In Jesus, God became a member of a family- the Holy Family- Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, which we remember and celebrate today. Jesus was fully human! But he wasn’t human in the sense that the Roman gods were human. Jesus was perfectly human. Through the life he lived, he showed how God wants us to be human.
Deep down, this is how all of us want to live our lives. We could see this reflected in a fad from a few years ago in which people created “avatars”- animated characters- to represent themselves in popular computer games. Through their “avatar,” a person playing the game could become anyone he or she wanted to be. Nevertheless, most players created characters that were simply better versions of their real selves- the people they would like to be, or wish they were, in real life. This, I think, is evidence of a desire we all have to be our best selves. And this is what Jesus has shown us how to do. To be the best we can be, we need to live in imitation of Jesus.
However, Jesus does much more than show us how to be human. He shows us, and enables us, to become like God. Did you catch that? God the Son became one of us so we could become like God. In Jesus, God united himself with our humanity so we could be united with his divinity- for all eternity. Because of Jesus, it’s our hope that in heaven we’ll not only be with God, we will be one with God, and share the same nature. “For the Son of God became man,” wrote St. Athanasius, “so that we might become God.” How amazing is that? How awesome is that? Yet that’s the truth that lies at the heart of our Christmas celebration.
The Washington Post once ran a nice story about how the cloistered Carmelite nuns in Southern Maryland celebrate Christmas. One nun, Sister Clare Joseph, said: "I just want to tell people, 'Don't you realize God became a man? Do you realize how astonishing that is?'” Then she lamented: "I don't think people even think about that. . . in our society."
She’s right. And sometimes we in the Church are guilty of the very same thing. So perhaps we all need, this Christmas season, to think about the true meaning of Christmas, and reflect on the magnitude of what God did for us when he became human in Jesus Christ. Because if we do, we won’t yawn with boredom. We will fall on our knees with awe.
However, you and I face another danger too. Not that the season’s distractions will drown out the Christmas story, but that we’ve heard it so many times that it no longer touches our hearts. It’s become so familiar to us that we’ve become jaded and indifferent. We hear the Christmas gospel proclaimed and think: “Tell me something I don’t already know.” It’s become to us like a song we really liked when it first came out, but then it got overplayed. When we hear it now, we don’t turn up the volume, we roll our eyes and change the channel.
I would imagine that many of us have felt this way, even if just a little bit. So maybe today, like Charlie Brown, we should take a good hard look at what Christmas really is all about. Let’s put aside for a moment all the shepherds, angels, wise men, mangers, and stars shining in the East. They’re all important- don’t get me wrong! But at the heart of Christmas is the amazing, astounding, breathtaking truth that, in Jesus, God became human. God- all powerful, all knowing, the creator of a cosmos billions of light years across- became a fragile, weak, tiny, and completely helpless baby on the first Christmas day. By his own choice, he became one of us.
The proclamation of this wonderful truth struck those who first heard it as a lightning bolt- both the Romans and the Jews. The Romans had their gods of course- Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and the whole lot. But by Jesus’ day, no one really cared about or believed in them. There were temples and religious holidays, and people went through the motions, but there was very little in the way of personal faith and devotion. These gods failed to inspire because they were too human, in the negative sense of the word. Their number included murderers and rapists, and they all fell prey to the whole range of human temptations- pride, envy, anger, jealousy, lust. Many Romans understandably found the God of the Jews- our God- as far more attractive. After all, there was only one of him. He was an ethical God who commanded respect, and was worthy of worship and obedience.
Unfortunately, by the time of Jesus’ birth, God was seen as being very far removed from everyday human life. Keeping the law and religious traditions were important, but that had become burdensome and oppressive. There was little appreciation of a personal relationship with God who involved himself in human affairs. God was silent. God was remote.
But with the coming of Jesus, everything changed. In Jesus, God was born, lived, worked, sweated, made friends, had enemies, experienced joy, knew disappointment, laughed, suffered, and died. In Jesus, God became a member of a family- the Holy Family- Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, which we remember and celebrate today. Jesus was fully human! But he wasn’t human in the sense that the Roman gods were human. Jesus was perfectly human. Through the life he lived, he showed how God wants us to be human.
Deep down, this is how all of us want to live our lives. We could see this reflected in a fad from a few years ago in which people created “avatars”- animated characters- to represent themselves in popular computer games. Through their “avatar,” a person playing the game could become anyone he or she wanted to be. Nevertheless, most players created characters that were simply better versions of their real selves- the people they would like to be, or wish they were, in real life. This, I think, is evidence of a desire we all have to be our best selves. And this is what Jesus has shown us how to do. To be the best we can be, we need to live in imitation of Jesus.
However, Jesus does much more than show us how to be human. He shows us, and enables us, to become like God. Did you catch that? God the Son became one of us so we could become like God. In Jesus, God united himself with our humanity so we could be united with his divinity- for all eternity. Because of Jesus, it’s our hope that in heaven we’ll not only be with God, we will be one with God, and share the same nature. “For the Son of God became man,” wrote St. Athanasius, “so that we might become God.” How amazing is that? How awesome is that? Yet that’s the truth that lies at the heart of our Christmas celebration.
The Washington Post once ran a nice story about how the cloistered Carmelite nuns in Southern Maryland celebrate Christmas. One nun, Sister Clare Joseph, said: "I just want to tell people, 'Don't you realize God became a man? Do you realize how astonishing that is?'” Then she lamented: "I don't think people even think about that. . . in our society."
She’s right. And sometimes we in the Church are guilty of the very same thing. So perhaps we all need, this Christmas season, to think about the true meaning of Christmas, and reflect on the magnitude of what God did for us when he became human in Jesus Christ. Because if we do, we won’t yawn with boredom. We will fall on our knees with awe.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Advent
“It’s the season for giving!” How often have we heard that recently? We certainly hear it from merchandisers, who want us to buy gifts. That season for giving began after Thanksgiving with “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday.” But the “season for giving” goes beyond that, doesn’t it? People seem more inclined to give in order to help others this time of year. Many charities report that most of their donations come in November and December. And it’s not just because people are looking for year-end tax breaks.
There’s a tradition- even an expectation- of giving during this season, and it’s not always linked anymore with our Christian celebration of Christ’s birthday. Now it’s just a part of the “holiday spirit” of peace, joy, and goodwill. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not criticizing that. I’m not going to knock anyone or group that makes a good faith effort to reach out to people in need. But, I would like to make the point that this “season for giving” wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the reason for the season: the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to us. The tradition of giving at Christmastime would never have a reason, if not for Christ. Think about it: would society have established a special season of peace and goodwill in which people open their hearts to give to those in need, without a religious motivation? I seriously doubt it.
I’ve read on the popular Beliefnet website that there’s a great deal of frustration these days among atheists because they don’t have their own holidays, and they’re conflicted about how to celebrate those with religious origins. So what do they celebrate? Some suggest “World Darwin Day” on February 12. Another proposal is “World Humanist Day.” Some- with tongue-in-cheek- say “April Fools Day.” And yes, there is the Winter Solstice, which arrives at the same time as Christmas. But in the discussions and proposals I read, there was no stress on giving to the less fortunate.
You may have seen on Metro busses and trains ads from the American Humanist Association which say: “No God? No problem! Just be good for goodness’ sake. You can be good without a belief in God.” And at one level, we could agree with them. We don’t believe that atheists are without compassion or goodness. Even though they may not believe in God- at least not yet, anyway- they’re still made in the image of God. They can have common decency, empathy, compassion, even great generosity. There are indeed a handful of atheist charities.
But the truth is that we are most like God when we give, because God gives. God is love, and one way to spell love is G-I-V-E. What does that mean in practice? If we don’t believe in God, we’re not going to try to be like God. And as a result, we will give far less. Study after study has shown that deeply religious people give much more in terms of donations and volunteer service that non-religious people. Faith in God can and should inspire us to kindness and generosity.
One thing I do in my ministry is help those training to become deacons learn how to preach. Last year, I heard a group of candidates give practice Advent homilies. And each one of them struck a common note: Advent is a time for us to prepare for the coming of Christ. How can we do that, they asked? By giving! They mentioned different charities that we might give to or help with, and one suggested making acts of love toward those who may be sad or lonely this time of year. And that’s all good advice. Those are things we might do, not just at Christmastime, but all year ‘round.
But since Christmas is coming, is there something else that we, as Christians, might be able to give? There are certainly a lot of “gift suggestions” out there these days! But may I be so bold as to suggest one more? It doesn’t cost any money, I assure you. Today’s Scripture readings which speak of Mary and the birth of a child suggest what it is. And it comes to us from none other than St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Francis loved Christmas. He was born, over 800 years ago, into a relatively wealthy family. But his mother, who was very devout, knew that God had something special planned for her son. So she made sure that he was born like Jesus was- in a barn, surrounded by animals. When he was an adult, he created the first “living nativity,” as we call them today. He filled a manger with hay outside on Christmas Eve, 1223. He brought in cows and donkeys to stand beside it. And in the manger, he placed a friend’s baby, and had the mother and father stand beside, playing Mary and Joseph. People came from all over, holding candles and singing songs, to see how the Lord was born in such a humble place. Then they all went to Midnight Mass, and Francis preached on the great gift of Jesus’ birth.
But Francis wanted people not just to hear about Jesus’ birth, and see a demonstration of what it was like. He wanted Jesus to be brought into our world over and over again. And he said that it was up to us to make that happen. He wrote a called the “Second Letter to the Faithful.” In it, he said this: “We are mothers of Christ when we carry him in our heart and in our body by divine love and with a pure and sincere conscience. We give birth to him through holy works, which should shine forth as an example to others.”
What Francis was saying is that, as Mary gave birth to Jesus some 2,000 years ago, we can bring Christ into our world over and over, through our witness, through our works of compassion, through our love. During this “season of giving,” what greater gift could we possibly give than the Son of God himself? As we prepare to celebrate his birth, let’s you and I give birth to him as well, once again.
There’s a tradition- even an expectation- of giving during this season, and it’s not always linked anymore with our Christian celebration of Christ’s birthday. Now it’s just a part of the “holiday spirit” of peace, joy, and goodwill. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not criticizing that. I’m not going to knock anyone or group that makes a good faith effort to reach out to people in need. But, I would like to make the point that this “season for giving” wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the reason for the season: the birth of Jesus, God’s gift to us. The tradition of giving at Christmastime would never have a reason, if not for Christ. Think about it: would society have established a special season of peace and goodwill in which people open their hearts to give to those in need, without a religious motivation? I seriously doubt it.
I’ve read on the popular Beliefnet website that there’s a great deal of frustration these days among atheists because they don’t have their own holidays, and they’re conflicted about how to celebrate those with religious origins. So what do they celebrate? Some suggest “World Darwin Day” on February 12. Another proposal is “World Humanist Day.” Some- with tongue-in-cheek- say “April Fools Day.” And yes, there is the Winter Solstice, which arrives at the same time as Christmas. But in the discussions and proposals I read, there was no stress on giving to the less fortunate.
You may have seen on Metro busses and trains ads from the American Humanist Association which say: “No God? No problem! Just be good for goodness’ sake. You can be good without a belief in God.” And at one level, we could agree with them. We don’t believe that atheists are without compassion or goodness. Even though they may not believe in God- at least not yet, anyway- they’re still made in the image of God. They can have common decency, empathy, compassion, even great generosity. There are indeed a handful of atheist charities.
But the truth is that we are most like God when we give, because God gives. God is love, and one way to spell love is G-I-V-E. What does that mean in practice? If we don’t believe in God, we’re not going to try to be like God. And as a result, we will give far less. Study after study has shown that deeply religious people give much more in terms of donations and volunteer service that non-religious people. Faith in God can and should inspire us to kindness and generosity.
One thing I do in my ministry is help those training to become deacons learn how to preach. Last year, I heard a group of candidates give practice Advent homilies. And each one of them struck a common note: Advent is a time for us to prepare for the coming of Christ. How can we do that, they asked? By giving! They mentioned different charities that we might give to or help with, and one suggested making acts of love toward those who may be sad or lonely this time of year. And that’s all good advice. Those are things we might do, not just at Christmastime, but all year ‘round.
But since Christmas is coming, is there something else that we, as Christians, might be able to give? There are certainly a lot of “gift suggestions” out there these days! But may I be so bold as to suggest one more? It doesn’t cost any money, I assure you. Today’s Scripture readings which speak of Mary and the birth of a child suggest what it is. And it comes to us from none other than St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Francis loved Christmas. He was born, over 800 years ago, into a relatively wealthy family. But his mother, who was very devout, knew that God had something special planned for her son. So she made sure that he was born like Jesus was- in a barn, surrounded by animals. When he was an adult, he created the first “living nativity,” as we call them today. He filled a manger with hay outside on Christmas Eve, 1223. He brought in cows and donkeys to stand beside it. And in the manger, he placed a friend’s baby, and had the mother and father stand beside, playing Mary and Joseph. People came from all over, holding candles and singing songs, to see how the Lord was born in such a humble place. Then they all went to Midnight Mass, and Francis preached on the great gift of Jesus’ birth.
But Francis wanted people not just to hear about Jesus’ birth, and see a demonstration of what it was like. He wanted Jesus to be brought into our world over and over again. And he said that it was up to us to make that happen. He wrote a called the “Second Letter to the Faithful.” In it, he said this: “We are mothers of Christ when we carry him in our heart and in our body by divine love and with a pure and sincere conscience. We give birth to him through holy works, which should shine forth as an example to others.”
What Francis was saying is that, as Mary gave birth to Jesus some 2,000 years ago, we can bring Christ into our world over and over, through our witness, through our works of compassion, through our love. During this “season of giving,” what greater gift could we possibly give than the Son of God himself? As we prepare to celebrate his birth, let’s you and I give birth to him as well, once again.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Third Sunday of Advent
Today is a day to rejoice! This very liturgy we’re celebrating is an occasion of joy! Joy and rejoicing are themes that run throughout today’s prayers and Scripture readings. The advent wreath’s rose candle, lit for the first time today, is meant to reflect joy. For good reason, the Third Sunday of Advent has traditionally been called “Gaudete” or “Rejoice” Sunday.
This joy, however, is not something experienced by all of us, because so many people today lead fundamentally unhappy lives. It’s been estimated that only 10-15% of modern Americans think of themselves as truly happy. One third of Americans wake up depressed every day. And this is not just an American problem. The World Health Organization has identified depression as the most widespread disease around the globe today. In the words of the philosopher Thoreau, many of us lead “lives of quiet desperation.” But why is this? What is it that inhibits us from experiencing joy? What is the cause of our unhappiness?
Perhaps some have fallen for the seduction of modern marketing. We are daily bombarded by advertisements which imply that we will be happy only if we have or experience this, that, or the other. The premise is that true happiness is found in the multiplication of pleasures. But this, of course, is a great deception. If we pursue happiness in the things of this world, we will either become disillusioned and jaded, develop an unquenchable thirst for more and more, or bury ourselves under a mountain of debt- a situation which only compounds our unhappiness.
Another reason we become unhappy is that we expect other people to make us happy. We’ve bought into our culture’s “Myth of Romantic Love,” which would have us believe that there is someone out there- Mr. Or Mrs. Right- who is destined to satisfy all of our needs, that we may live happily ever after. But no human being can ever satisfy all our needs. To expect this is to set ourselves up for disappointment and place an unrealistic and unfair burden on someone else’s shoulders. It’s also the root cause of many divorces.
Another cause of unhappiness is that the world around us can seem like a pretty bleak and forbidding place. The daily news is filled with reports of war, poverty, violence, hatred, and injustice, and one can conclude that there is precious little happiness to be found as we wander through this “vale of tears.” We might even think that it’s unrealistic or even irresponsible to be happy in the face of such suffering. As Walter Cronkite once said, “If you think things seem to be going well, you had better have your television set repaired.”
Deep down, however, every one of us wants to be happy. It’s true that our world is filled with hardship, sorrow, disappointment, and confusion. Nevertheless, we expect it to be fair and for it all to make sense. We expect to experience satisfaction and fulfillment in this life, and we feel cheated if we don’t. We believe that we have a right to happiness in this life, and that the world is obliged to give it to us. (1)
This expectation is the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a divinely-given longing for that which will truly make us happy. It’s God drawing us to himself, calling us to seek for that which will ultimately satisfy our needs. That problem is that we wind up looking in the wrong places. So often we seek happiness outside of ourselves, while we really should be looking within. As Sr. Elvira Petrozzi has written, “We were created for peace and joy, and if we haven’t yet found them, we need to ask ourselves why, and begin to search for them inside ourselves.”
John Powell, the well-known Jesuit writer, has posted on his bathroom mirror a card that reads: “You are looking at the face of the person who is responsible for your own happiness.” Or, as he puts it in another way, “happiness is an inside job.” This is his way of reminding himself that authentic happiness is hinged upon the choices we make. If we make the right choices, doing the best we can to align our will with God’s, we’ll find ourselves on the right track. If we make poor choices, seeking happiness in all the wrong places, we will never truly find what it is we’re looking for. In other words, happiness is a by-product of living in the Lord. It’s something we need to work for and strive after; we shouldn’t expect it simply to fall into our lap. We may need to change our behavior, re-ordering our lives in a healthy way. We may need to change the way we think- about ourselves, about others, about the circumstances that shape our life. We may need the help of others to do this, and that’s a good thing. But this is all part of the striving, and strive we must.
Yet happiness is not simply a prize we can win; it’s also a grace we have to choose to accept. Our desire for happiness, the path that leads to happiness, the strength to follow it, and happiness itself, are all offered to us by God as a gift of love. Indeed, happiness is a sign that God is active and fruitful in our life. As we all learned in Confirmation class, joy is a “fruit” of the Holy Spirit. Happiness may indeed be an inside job, but it’s also, and supremely, a gift.
Gifts and gift-giving are very much on people’s minds right now. As Christians, we’re anticipating our celebration of the gift of Jesus. And it is through Jesus, with Jesus, and in Jesus, that the gift of happiness and joy is offered to us and found by us. This Christmas, let’s begin to claim this joy for ourselves. (1)
(1) This theme of this homily and certain of its content were inspired by/to be found in Happiness is an Inside Job, pp. 1-8, by John Powell, RCL (Allen, TX), 1989
This joy, however, is not something experienced by all of us, because so many people today lead fundamentally unhappy lives. It’s been estimated that only 10-15% of modern Americans think of themselves as truly happy. One third of Americans wake up depressed every day. And this is not just an American problem. The World Health Organization has identified depression as the most widespread disease around the globe today. In the words of the philosopher Thoreau, many of us lead “lives of quiet desperation.” But why is this? What is it that inhibits us from experiencing joy? What is the cause of our unhappiness?
Perhaps some have fallen for the seduction of modern marketing. We are daily bombarded by advertisements which imply that we will be happy only if we have or experience this, that, or the other. The premise is that true happiness is found in the multiplication of pleasures. But this, of course, is a great deception. If we pursue happiness in the things of this world, we will either become disillusioned and jaded, develop an unquenchable thirst for more and more, or bury ourselves under a mountain of debt- a situation which only compounds our unhappiness.
Another reason we become unhappy is that we expect other people to make us happy. We’ve bought into our culture’s “Myth of Romantic Love,” which would have us believe that there is someone out there- Mr. Or Mrs. Right- who is destined to satisfy all of our needs, that we may live happily ever after. But no human being can ever satisfy all our needs. To expect this is to set ourselves up for disappointment and place an unrealistic and unfair burden on someone else’s shoulders. It’s also the root cause of many divorces.
Another cause of unhappiness is that the world around us can seem like a pretty bleak and forbidding place. The daily news is filled with reports of war, poverty, violence, hatred, and injustice, and one can conclude that there is precious little happiness to be found as we wander through this “vale of tears.” We might even think that it’s unrealistic or even irresponsible to be happy in the face of such suffering. As Walter Cronkite once said, “If you think things seem to be going well, you had better have your television set repaired.”
Deep down, however, every one of us wants to be happy. It’s true that our world is filled with hardship, sorrow, disappointment, and confusion. Nevertheless, we expect it to be fair and for it all to make sense. We expect to experience satisfaction and fulfillment in this life, and we feel cheated if we don’t. We believe that we have a right to happiness in this life, and that the world is obliged to give it to us. (1)
This expectation is the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s a divinely-given longing for that which will truly make us happy. It’s God drawing us to himself, calling us to seek for that which will ultimately satisfy our needs. That problem is that we wind up looking in the wrong places. So often we seek happiness outside of ourselves, while we really should be looking within. As Sr. Elvira Petrozzi has written, “We were created for peace and joy, and if we haven’t yet found them, we need to ask ourselves why, and begin to search for them inside ourselves.”
John Powell, the well-known Jesuit writer, has posted on his bathroom mirror a card that reads: “You are looking at the face of the person who is responsible for your own happiness.” Or, as he puts it in another way, “happiness is an inside job.” This is his way of reminding himself that authentic happiness is hinged upon the choices we make. If we make the right choices, doing the best we can to align our will with God’s, we’ll find ourselves on the right track. If we make poor choices, seeking happiness in all the wrong places, we will never truly find what it is we’re looking for. In other words, happiness is a by-product of living in the Lord. It’s something we need to work for and strive after; we shouldn’t expect it simply to fall into our lap. We may need to change our behavior, re-ordering our lives in a healthy way. We may need to change the way we think- about ourselves, about others, about the circumstances that shape our life. We may need the help of others to do this, and that’s a good thing. But this is all part of the striving, and strive we must.
Yet happiness is not simply a prize we can win; it’s also a grace we have to choose to accept. Our desire for happiness, the path that leads to happiness, the strength to follow it, and happiness itself, are all offered to us by God as a gift of love. Indeed, happiness is a sign that God is active and fruitful in our life. As we all learned in Confirmation class, joy is a “fruit” of the Holy Spirit. Happiness may indeed be an inside job, but it’s also, and supremely, a gift.
Gifts and gift-giving are very much on people’s minds right now. As Christians, we’re anticipating our celebration of the gift of Jesus. And it is through Jesus, with Jesus, and in Jesus, that the gift of happiness and joy is offered to us and found by us. This Christmas, let’s begin to claim this joy for ourselves. (1)
(1) This theme of this homily and certain of its content were inspired by/to be found in Happiness is an Inside Job, pp. 1-8, by John Powell, RCL (Allen, TX), 1989
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Second Sunday of Advent
You may be familiar with the story of Fr. Damien of Molokai, the Dutch priest who ministered, lived, and died in a Hawaiian leper colony. His heroic life is the subject of several books and films, and there’s a statue of him the U.S. Capital’s Statuary Hall. And just this past year, he was declared a saint.
Father Damien’s was filled with physical and emotional pain. His physical pain came from the leprosy he contracted from the people he served as a priest. Near the end of his days, it was almost too painful for him to wear his black cassock over his bloated, poisoned body. His emotional anguish came from the false charges by critics that he had contracted his disease through immoral behavior. These were indeed heavy crosses to bear. But by his own account, the heaviest cross borne by Father Damien was not the slander or the physical pain, but the impossibility of making a frequent confession.
Because the leper colony was quarantined, priests were generally not allowed to visit Fr. Damien. What he had to do was wait for the occasional ship to arrive with supplies and new lepers. Once a ship was docked, Fr. Damien would call up to the crew, asking if there were a priest on board. Sometimes there would be, but he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the ship. So Fr. Damien would yell up his confession in Latin, and then receive absolution from the deck of the ship. “That sacramental absolution,” wrote Fr. Damien, “meant more to me than the tea, tobacco, clothing, food, or letters being brought ashore.”
We should be grateful that we don’t have to go to such great extremes to make a confession. But the question is: Do we take advantage of the opportunities we have? Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don’t. Here at St. Hugh’s, I’m delighted to say that I never seem to have an empty confessional. At the same time, however, it’s no secret that we Catholics don’t make our confession like we used to.
A study was conducted recently to determine why this is. One reason was that many people had priests who had been unkind to them in the confessional, and this had scared them away. Another reason is that lots of confessions seemed to be too fast- two minutes or less- and people didn’t think it to be a meaningful experience. Confusion over Church teaching was another factor.
I think there are lots of other reasons too. For instance, in some quarters of the church, confession isn’t really emphasized anymore, and in some parishes it’s not offered very much. Also, it’s been my experience that many people today are looking for an adult experience of reconciliation, and not the same thing they had in second grade. Changing images of God and a changed understanding of sin has also had an effect- some of which is good!
However, the truth is that we have a need to confess- and not simply because it’s a church precept that we make a confession at least once a year. There’s also a huge psychological benefit to confession that we’re just beginning to appreciate. One study has shown that Catholics who go to confession feel less guilt than other Christians who don’t. This may be because in confession we actually experience God’s forgiveness. We reveal our deepest, darkest secrets and then we hear the words that we are forgiven, and that we are healed. These words are very powerful.
Stephanie once compared her experience of confession with a mess we used to have in our family room. There was a cabinet there that held a TV, two speakers, a telephone, a computer and its monitor, a cassette player, a stereo receiver, a CD player, a VCR, and a turntable. The back of the cabinet, I’ll confess, was a chaotic, spaghetti-like tangle of cords, plugs and wires. Stephanie said that before her confession, she felt as if her soul was like that crazy, tangled mess- all mixed up and out of sorts After confession, however, she felt as if everything were straightened out, neatened up, and in its proper place. I know what she’s talking about, and I imagine that many of you do too.
Another benefit to confession is that it helps us to break those bad habits and attitudes and compulsions that we just can’t seem to shake. We try to get rid of them, but we can’t, so we find ourselves in the repeating cycle of “good intention-failure-guilt.” Confession, however, can help us to break the cycle.
Why is this? Well, problems that we keep to ourselves tend to fester and get worse. Keeping them a secret doesn’t make them go away. But when we confess it, we bring it to surface, and the healing can begin. It’s a bit like Alcoholics Anonymous. The first step there is to confess before others out loud that one is an alcoholic. You and I are “sinaholics,” and if we want to get better, we need to say it out loud in the sacrament of confession. It’s said that we’re only as sick as our secrets! So what’s the solution? Don’t conceal it; reveal it! Don’t repress it; confess it!
This is the challenge that today’s gospel makes of us. As we heard, John the Baptist stressed the need for repentance three times, and we’re told that those who heeded his call openly “acknowledged their sins.” What better way for us to prepare for Christmas, when we welcome him who was born, lived, died, and rose again, so that our sins might be forgiven.
Father Damien’s was filled with physical and emotional pain. His physical pain came from the leprosy he contracted from the people he served as a priest. Near the end of his days, it was almost too painful for him to wear his black cassock over his bloated, poisoned body. His emotional anguish came from the false charges by critics that he had contracted his disease through immoral behavior. These were indeed heavy crosses to bear. But by his own account, the heaviest cross borne by Father Damien was not the slander or the physical pain, but the impossibility of making a frequent confession.
Because the leper colony was quarantined, priests were generally not allowed to visit Fr. Damien. What he had to do was wait for the occasional ship to arrive with supplies and new lepers. Once a ship was docked, Fr. Damien would call up to the crew, asking if there were a priest on board. Sometimes there would be, but he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the ship. So Fr. Damien would yell up his confession in Latin, and then receive absolution from the deck of the ship. “That sacramental absolution,” wrote Fr. Damien, “meant more to me than the tea, tobacco, clothing, food, or letters being brought ashore.”
We should be grateful that we don’t have to go to such great extremes to make a confession. But the question is: Do we take advantage of the opportunities we have? Sometimes we do, and sometimes we don’t. Here at St. Hugh’s, I’m delighted to say that I never seem to have an empty confessional. At the same time, however, it’s no secret that we Catholics don’t make our confession like we used to.
A study was conducted recently to determine why this is. One reason was that many people had priests who had been unkind to them in the confessional, and this had scared them away. Another reason is that lots of confessions seemed to be too fast- two minutes or less- and people didn’t think it to be a meaningful experience. Confusion over Church teaching was another factor.
I think there are lots of other reasons too. For instance, in some quarters of the church, confession isn’t really emphasized anymore, and in some parishes it’s not offered very much. Also, it’s been my experience that many people today are looking for an adult experience of reconciliation, and not the same thing they had in second grade. Changing images of God and a changed understanding of sin has also had an effect- some of which is good!
However, the truth is that we have a need to confess- and not simply because it’s a church precept that we make a confession at least once a year. There’s also a huge psychological benefit to confession that we’re just beginning to appreciate. One study has shown that Catholics who go to confession feel less guilt than other Christians who don’t. This may be because in confession we actually experience God’s forgiveness. We reveal our deepest, darkest secrets and then we hear the words that we are forgiven, and that we are healed. These words are very powerful.
Stephanie once compared her experience of confession with a mess we used to have in our family room. There was a cabinet there that held a TV, two speakers, a telephone, a computer and its monitor, a cassette player, a stereo receiver, a CD player, a VCR, and a turntable. The back of the cabinet, I’ll confess, was a chaotic, spaghetti-like tangle of cords, plugs and wires. Stephanie said that before her confession, she felt as if her soul was like that crazy, tangled mess- all mixed up and out of sorts After confession, however, she felt as if everything were straightened out, neatened up, and in its proper place. I know what she’s talking about, and I imagine that many of you do too.
Another benefit to confession is that it helps us to break those bad habits and attitudes and compulsions that we just can’t seem to shake. We try to get rid of them, but we can’t, so we find ourselves in the repeating cycle of “good intention-failure-guilt.” Confession, however, can help us to break the cycle.
Why is this? Well, problems that we keep to ourselves tend to fester and get worse. Keeping them a secret doesn’t make them go away. But when we confess it, we bring it to surface, and the healing can begin. It’s a bit like Alcoholics Anonymous. The first step there is to confess before others out loud that one is an alcoholic. You and I are “sinaholics,” and if we want to get better, we need to say it out loud in the sacrament of confession. It’s said that we’re only as sick as our secrets! So what’s the solution? Don’t conceal it; reveal it! Don’t repress it; confess it!
This is the challenge that today’s gospel makes of us. As we heard, John the Baptist stressed the need for repentance three times, and we’re told that those who heeded his call openly “acknowledged their sins.” What better way for us to prepare for Christmas, when we welcome him who was born, lived, died, and rose again, so that our sins might be forgiven.
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