Feast of Holy Family

After three days they found the child Jesus in the temple

Fr James McTavish FMVD

Today the Church liturgy celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The Son of God became man and lived in a family. It helps us to reflect on what it means to be a family. Pope Paul VI wrote a homily on the Holy Family in 1964. He gave three characteristics of the life they lived in Nazareth – silence, love and work. Let us use these to guide our reflection and relate to the Word of God in the readings today.

The gospel of today (Luke 2, 41-52) breaks the silence of the hidden life of Jesus. We hear nothing of the childhood of Jesus until he is twelve years old and lost in the temple. Silence was a feature of the life in Nazareth. Silence is golden especially in the noisy world of today! Pope Paul VI said “If only we could once again appreciate its great value. We need this wonderful state of mind, beset as we are by the cacophony of strident protests and conflicting claims so characteristic of these turbulent times. The silence of Nazareth should teach us how to meditate in peace and quiet, to reflect on the deeply spiritual and the value of a well-ordered personal spiritual life, and of silent prayer that is known only to God.” The fruit of silence spent with God is love.

We are called to love our human family. This love should lead us to grow in awareness of being children of God. We are not only children of our parents but as St John reminds us “Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. And so we are.” (See 1 John 3, 1-2, 21-24). Our family life on earth should always be directed towards heaven. We can give many gifts to our children but the best gift I received from my parents was their faith and love for God and each other. 

It is quite fascinating the image of the Holy Family presented in the gospel today. Many images of the Holy Family show them peaceful, with halos and Colgate smiles. The holiness of real life is very different! The holy parents, Mary and Joseph seems to have done something not so holy – they have lost the child Jesus! They had all gone to Jerusalem together for a feast. On the way back the parents of Jesus assumed he was in the caravan. It took them three days to find him. I remember being lost for only a few hours and my parents were so anxious but imagine the angst of Mary and Joseph after three days. His mother said to Jesus “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” Even more surprising is the response of the twelve year old Jesus “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

We can lose Jesus. It can happen to us too and can be part of our process of becoming holy! At times you have to search for Christ. This is a great antidote to mediocrity and complacency. One professional I know was telling me that he was bored with his faith, that the idea of sharing his faith with others was not exciting any more. He had lost his initial fire of following the Lord. He realised that it was time for a change. It was as if he had been with Jesus but in this moment of his faith journey he would have to search for the Lord with more intensity. These moments are a blessing, grace filled opportunities to grow, to move on otherwise you stagnate. Jesus said “Seek me and you will find me” if you seek me with all your heart. The problem is that sometimes we don’t search with all our heart, only part of it. 

Occasional restlessness is vital for us. If we become lazy in our spiritual lives then we need to work a little more. “Pray as everything depends on God, but work as if everything depends on you” the Saints remind us. Pope Paul VI reminds us “In Nazareth, the home of a craftsman’s son, we learn about work and the discipline it entails. I would especially like to recognise its value – demanding yet redeeming – and to give it proper respect”. Work, both material and spiritual, helps us grow in holiness. 

How is my life of silence and contemplation? Does my love for my family remind each one that they are children of God and part of a bigger family? Am I working in my spiritual life? How can I search more for Christ? 

“Not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers.” (Lk 2, 45-47). If we feel we have lost Jesus be reassured that we can find him in silence, in love and in work even if it takes ‘three days’ (symbolic of the number of days between His death and resurrection). 

Let us give thanks for the life of the holy family, cherish our own more and more and offer a prayer today for all families especially those in most difficulty. Amen.

Fiesta de la Sagrada Familia

Dios forja su Historia de Amor a través de la familia

(P. Luis Tamayo)

 Si el 25 de Diciembre celebramos el nacimiento del niño Jesús, y hablamos del maravilloso hecho de cómo Dios se hace hombre. En la celebración de hoy, Dios da un paso más en el amor al hombre y a la humanidad: Dios escoge el seno de una familia para hacerse hombre. ¿No es esto impresionante?

Dios no sólo decide hacerse hombre, sino que escoge el seno de una familia para hacerse hombre. Esto es lo que hoy celebramos, el hecho de que Jesús nació en el seno de una familia, y no sólo nació, sino que en la familia creció, se educó y se formó (Evangelio de hoy: Lc 2, 41-52).

Es admirable pensar en como todo un Dios creador del universo y de su orden, un Dios creador de las leyes que rigen el cosmos y la naturaleza, Dios mismo decide someterse a las leyes humanas. No se salta el camino humano, sino que El mismo se somete y adopta los mismo caminos de cualquier hombre. Todo ser humano nace y crece en el seno de una familia.

¿A caso Dios no podía haber escogido otro camino para hacerse presente entre los hombres? Ahora que estamos tan acostumbrados a películas de ciencia ficción…  cuando aparece el salvador de la película envuelto en llamas, o un coche fantástico, o en una nave supersónica.

Pero no es así.  Jesús escogió el camino de todo hombre. Jesús fue nacido de mujer, Jesús nace en el seno de una familia, Jesucristo tuvo un papá y una mamá.

Es importante darse cuenta que Dios nada de lo que hace lo hace por casualidad o coincidencia… sino que Dios, en su sabiduría infinita, sabe bien lo que hace. Dios escogiendo nacer en una familia está haciendo la Historia de la Salvación. Pudiendo escoger otro camino, escoge el camino de la familia para sí y para todo hombre. Dios ha querido que la historia del Amor de Dios para con cada hombre ha de pasar necesariamente por la familia.

Sino, ¿cómo uno puede hacerse una idea del rostro del amor de Dios-Padre sino es por los gestos de amor de su propio padre? o ¿cómo puede uno imaginarse la ternura de la Virgen María sino es por la experiencia del cariño de una madre? La historia de Amor de Dios con el hombre pasa por reconocer que Dios me ha amado desde siempre por medio de mis padres, Dios ha volcado su protección por medio de mi familia, Dios me ha dado la fe heredada de unos abuelos, Dios quiere hacer conmigo una historia de amor incondicional a través de mi familia. Uno aprende a reconocer el amor de Dios a través de la familia.

La familia merece la pena! Merece la pena luchar por la familia, trabajar por la familia, proteger a la familia, invertirse por la familia.  La familia nos lo da todo, debiera darlo todo. ¿A caso no estas agradecido por todo lo que has recibido por tu familia? Y aunque una familia no sea perfecta, y uno haya sufrido las dificultades dentro de la familia, casi siempre uno ha recibido un montón de cosas positivas de la familia.

Cuando veo a mis amigos, muchos de ellos en la crisis de los 40… y rompen los vínculos, dicen que no merece la pena, se encuentran sin fuerza, lo que un día pareció maravilloso 3 o 4 años después no hay capacidad para soñar… ¿Qué pasa? ¿Será que no entendemos que la familia es un don por el que merece la pena luchar?

Os voy a contar una fábula:

"Había un incendio en un gran bosque de bambú; el incendio formaba llamaradas impresionantes, de una altura extraordinaria; y una pequeña ave, muy pequeñita, fue al río, mojó sus alas y regresó sobre el gran incendio, y las empezó a agitar para apagarlo; regresaba al río a por agua y volvía a ir una y otra vez; y los dioses que la observaban, sorprendidos la mandaron a llamar y le dijeron:

Oye, por qué estás haciendo eso? Cómo crees que con esas gotitas de agua puedas tú apagar un incendio de tales dimensiones? Date cuenta, no podrás lograrlo.

Y el ave humildemente contestó:

"El bosque me ha dado tanto… Yo nací en este bosque que me ha enseñado la naturaleza, me ha dado el alimento, el refugio, me ha dado todo mi ser. Este bosque es mi origen y mi hogar y por ello no me importa gastar todas mis fuerzas lanzando gotitas de amor, aunque no se si lo pueda apagar". Los dioses entendieron lo que hacía la pequeña ave y le ayudaron a apagar el incendio".

Merece la pena gastar todas las fuerzas en pequeños gestos de amor por la familia. La familia es mi origen y mi hogar y por ello no me importa gastar todas mis fuerzas lanzando gotitas de amor. Cada acción que con amor y entusiasmo emprendemos, es cosecha para un mejor mañana. No subestimes tus gotitas de amor, pues millones de ellas forman un océano. Todo acto que con amor realizamos por la familia, regresa a nosotros multiplicado.  O ¿a caso no crees que Dios te va a ayudar a construir tu familia? La familia merece la pena!!!

4th Sunday of Advent

 Fr James McTavish FMVD

“Mary went in haste to the hill country”

This week we were invited by some religious sisters to go carolling with some young children in their school. The mini-bus was full on the way to the shanty town where we would be singing – full of kids and full of joy. Their faces lit up the darkness of the evening. How eager they were to bring the joy and excitement of Christmas to the poor families we would visit. This eagerness to bring a joyful message to the world is seen in the life of the young Mary, as she travels through the hill country to be with her cousin Elizabeth. Luke the evangelist states that “Mary set out and travelled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of her Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (See Luke 1, 39-45).

The journey made by Mary is one of four days but she made it “in haste”. The greek text gives us the word “spoude” which means zeal, enthusiasm, bubbling over and fervour. Mother Theresa of Calcutta commented that joy gave Mary haste. She was full of joy because she was full of Christ. Not only did Mary carry Christ in her womb but also in her heart. How great if we too had this motivation, to go into the hill country of challenging situations and not stop in our efforts to bring Jesus to this world of today. What things stop us moving with haste? What factors tend to slow us down? There are three things or attachments which tend to make us lose our joy and enthusiasm – attachments to false pleasures, honours and riches.

False pleasures includes the desire for an easy life, to relax too much and take things easy. As St John of the Cross noted it only takes a little thread tied to the leg of a bird to stop it flying. Attachments can stop us loving. I like chocolate. One day a person was sharing their problems with me at the dinner table when the chocolate mousse arrived. As the problems became more serious so did the look on my face as the choco-mousse was vanishing fast! Many things can enchain us. The statue of Blessed Matthew Talbot, the Irish labourer who overcame his alcoholism shows him with chains around his body and empty bottles at his feet begging the intercession of Mary. For those tee-total, non-smoking, chocolate haters there are many interior chains that bind us. The false pleasure of judgments, of not forgiving, not taking the first step to reconcile all stop us living others. What chains of pleasure bind you?

False honours can enchain us. The desire for all our titles to be recognized can be like a huge ball and chain around us. A man introduced himself to me here in Manila. He gave me so many credentials and titles that at the end he forgot to tell me his name. We can forget that beneath all our honours and awards we are dust and held together by the glue of God’s mercy! Mary would have been considered a nobody in her society. As a young virgin coming from the town of Nazareth with perhaps 150 inhabitants she had no family name to rely on. Our world of today worries so much about what people will say. A friend of ours had an older second hand hire car while his executive car from work was being repaired. His boss told him “I understand if you want to park that old hire car a bit away from the office as I am sure you are embarrassed to be seen in it”! Many times we will not speak about Jesus because we are too worried about what people will say to us. It is hard work being a people pleaser. Like the man walking with his son who was riding a donkey. The townsfolk said it was awful that the old man was walking. He changed places with his son and others frowned that he was making the young boy walk. He invited his son on the donkey with him until the people complained that the donkey was overburdened with the two of them on its back. The story ends with the father and son walking off into the sunset, carrying the donkey! Are you a people pleaser?

The last great slavery is false riches. The treasure for Mary was to bring Jesus to the world. What is my treasure? A man I saw once in the emergency room after a motorbike accident went crazy when we told him we had to cut off his leather jacket. He was seriously injured and the standard procedure is to examine the body fully to see the extent of the injuries. He threatened to kill the staff! He was putting his life in danger. His riches was in his image. Perhaps the jacket cost some money but his life and health was surely more precious. Sometimes our richness can be our self-image and how we look. I remember going to help give a retreat in England. Just before leaving, I was wrapping a gift and bit off a piece of sticky tape. In my haste I bit too hard and my front tooth fell out. I had to preach with a tooth missing. For 2 days I was so self-conscious that I could hardly open my mouth. At the end of the retreat, after 5 days, I had gotten quite used to it. Sometimes our richness can be all in appearances and how we look. Lord Jesus, come this Christmas and free us from our slaveries. Out of the attachments mentioned, for you, which one enchains you the most and stops you loving? The chains of false pleasures, honours or riches?

May the example of Mother Mary help us. Her pleasure was to bring Jesus to the world, her honour was doing the will of the Father, her true riches was to be filled the Holy Spirit. For us what we need to grow in freedom is not to acquire more things but to get rid! To get rid of many useless attachments that clog us up on the journey. As we hear in the movie Braveheart “Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it!” Mary, refuge of sinners, may the coming of Christ free us to love others, may his birth in our hearts break the chains that stop us reaching out to love others. Amen

Feliz Navidad! / Merry Christmas!

Vitaminas de Fe os desea Feliz Navidad.  Que Dios os bendiga!

Y gracias por estar cerca de nuestro Blog. Pedimos vuestras oraciones para hacer de este instrumento la via por la cual circule la gracia de Dios a través de su Palabra escrita.

Vitamins of Faith wishes you Merry Christmas. God bless you!

Thank you for being close to our Blog.  We ask your prayers to keep this instrument as a channel of grace through his written Word.

4º Domingo de Adviento

¿Qué vio Dios en María? Su pequeñez.

Estamos celebrando ya el cuarto domingo de Adviento; quedan ya pocos días para la fiesta de la Navidad.

El centro de atención de este cuarto domingo se lo debemos a María. María, a punto de dar a luz, a punto de ser Madre de Dios, la mujer que dio su consentimiento a los designios amorosos de Dios  ¿Cómo entender a María en este acontecimiento próximo a la Navidad?

La primera lectura nos ayuda a entender esta pregunta: ¿Qué vió Dios en María para ser escogida como Madre de Jesucristo? ¿En qué se fijó Dios al escoger a María para llevar en ella su historia de amor con la humanidad?

La primera lectura del profeta Miqueas (mi 5, 1-4ª) narra: “Así dice el Señor: «Pero tú, Belén de Efrata, pequeña entre las aldeas de Judá, de ti saldrá el jefe de Israel.”

¿Qué vio Dios en María? Su pequeñez. ¿Qué conquistó el corazón a Dios al ver a María? Su humildad, su sencillez, su bondad.  Estas son actitudes del corazón que ayudan a dejar a Dios quedar enamorado de nosotros. A caso ¿no crees que tu puedes ser predilecto de Dios?

Cuando hablamos de estas características en la figura de María parece que conectamos con lo que desde siempre nos enseñaron de la Virgen.  Pero a veces invitar abiertamente a la gente a ser humilde, sencillo y bondadoso… hoy día se entiende casi como proponer a uno que sea ‘tonto’ o ‘bobo’.  Alguien me decía: “Padre Luis ¿no se da cuenta que el mundo no va por ahí? ¿no se da cuenta que eso, hoy día, no convence a nadie?... ni si quiera a los católicos…” Escuchar esto último se me clavó en el alma…  Pero algo de verdad hay en esto.

Si uno es sincero y ve lo que propone a sus hijos, o como es su plan de vida, te das cuenta que en sus prioridades tanto personales como para los suyos no están la humildad, la sencillez o la bondad.

Por ejemplo, hablemos de la sencillez: estos días pensaba que muchos de nosotros usamos el eslogan de ‘querer una vida más sencilla”. Cuantas veces hemos escuchado: llevo un ritmo acelerado, a ver si estas navidades paro un poco… pero llegan las vacaciones y uno en vez de parar ya está programando como ocupar su tiempo sin parar.  El ritmo que llevamos no es el de una vida sencilla. Cada día hemos de lidiar con cosas que no podemos evitar: como el trabajo diario, algunos estamos metidos con clases de esto u lo otro, luego añade las gestiones normales de la vida diaria, y no olvidemos cierta vida social como visitar a la familia o tomar un aperitivo con los amigos.  Cuando llega el fin de semana o las vacaciones uno ya está – automáticamente – programando para salir de viaje, ocuparse en actividades, hacer esto u lo otro…

El otro día hablando con una persona me dice: ¿por qué tengo que liarme en Navidades casi compulsivamente a ocupar el tiempo? Y me dice: ¿puedo quedarme en casa y hacer algo sencillo? Como leer un libro, arreglar papeles acumulados, sentarme con los míos a jugar al parchís, pasear por el campo con un bocata de tortilla… me gustó lo que decía.  Me pareció muy atrevido.

Pero a veces plantearse algo sencillo, desacelerar el activismo, cortar planes compulsivos, quedarse quieto, reposado, sin un “hacer” que me lleve a estar desconectado de mi mismo.  Cuando se lo contaba a un amigo me decía: eso es lo que todos anhelamos, pero suena a 'aburrimiento' - parece que estoy acostumbrado a darle 'ritmo' a todo.  Es verdad, en el fondo no sabemos vivir de una forma más sencilla.

María nos puede ayudar a ver como la sencillez vivida desde Dios y con mucho amor puede adquirir una intensidad profundísima como para llenar la vida de un gran sentido. Una mujer sencilla y sin embargo un “sí” dado en el silencio hizo de ella Madre de Dios: la primera lectura dice de María: pequeña entre las mujeres, pero de ti saldrá el jefe de Israel.” La prima Isabel le dice María en el Evangelio de Lucas (1, 39-45): ¡Bendita tú entre las mujeres, y bendito el fruto de tu vientre!

Aprender a decidir por cosas sencillas no es quedar encerrado en el aburrimiento supino, sino que vivido desde Dios y con mucho amor puede adquirir una intensidad profundísima y llenar la vida de un gran sentido: 

Decidir quedarse en casa a jugar al parchís con la familia puede convertirse en un gesto de dar amor, servir a los demás, invitar a saborear una alegría que no viene del consumo externo. Decidir quedarse una tarde en casa a leer un libro (¿por qué no espiritual?) y -sin TV-, puede ser un momento de conectar con el espíritu interior de uno mismo, muchas veces tan olvidado y rescatar de él la fuerza interior del amor.  Decidir dar tiempo desinteresado a alguien que me necesite (un vecino, un anciano, un enfermo, etc.) puede ayudarme a cambiar mi concepto de “perder el tiempo” por “invertirlo por amor”. 

Decidir hacer algo distinto (desacelerar) a lo que siempre hago (llenarme de ocupaciones), puede ser el saborear algo nuevo en mi vida para dejar atrás hábitos que nunca acaban por llenar mi vida.  

A bored young catholic

Anonymous asked this question:

Hi ye all!

I think the RC church would full up and people would pay entrance if the clergy gets modernized in their reunions.

Don’t you think the mass is pretty boring? Always the same!!! No variations!!!! And the parents oblige you to attend.

Why don’t they play rock? Young people we would like it! Some strobe lights! I have heard some churches have chicks dancing. That would be nice!

You can add some more thoughts how to modernize mass.

Please help the young people!

See ya!

A bored Catholic

Answer:

Man oh Man you got a problem. Let me tell you something:

Some 30 years ago in midst of the rip and roar of the liturgical adaptations after the Vatican Council I was responsible for the youth area of my parish. My God, we did some things:

We changed the music and thank God we took the tunes of Negro Spirituals. They had rhythm and the words were easy to spaniolize. We armed at the back of the Church a giant Screen and escorted the prayers and the Bible readings with wonderful images, photos and collages. We had background music and meditations for young people. We taught yoga, Zen and other oriental stuff. Boy we were modern. I remember after one of those silent meditations a guy told me: Please, couldn’t you put some cushions in the corner of the church." You can imagine what for…

The Lord bestowed on me one privilege that is very rare here in Latin American. I have worked almost 30 years with the same parish in different ministries. So I have observed various generations. I am blessing now the marriages of the children of the marriages I blessed 30 years ago. If I resist some additional year the wear and the tear of this life I will bless the marriage of the grandchildren. I have watched the generations and the development of their faith. Here in Peru they say: "More knows the devil for being old than for being the devil". I have seen it.

It does not work. Those who were foremost in these then newfangled things – boy you are resurrecting things we buried 20 years ago! – almost all had to be recovered. All the noise and the movies and the togetherness and touch and pray and sing along has not been able to give them the most important thing, FAITH. Forget it if you are looking for something that smells, tastes and feels like the presence of God by your idea of modernizing the church. It doesn’t work. You won’t find it the way you are trying to.

And it is not your fault, brother (or is it sister?), and at least not all your fault. When you overtrain one ability generally the other senses shrivel. Probably your "hearing for music" is in overdrive. And probably you are hear impaired and once married you will have to install amplification because you will not wake up when the baby cries. And when your wife or husband whispers sweet things into your ear you will have to say: "Come on, speak up!", and romance will vanish. Too much decibels in young years! So you can’t hear the spoken word. Your "hearing for words" is atrophied. How many times has your mother to repeat things to you? It is not your fault, at least not all your fault.

I am sorry. The solution goes through the "hearing for words." It’s in the Bible:

Romans:  "But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹ That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹ As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" ¹⁷ Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. ¹⁸ But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:  "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." But concerning Israel he says,  "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." 

I bet you haven’t believed in your heart and much less professed with your mouth. And don’t tell me you haven’t heard the message pronounced. You have, if your parents obliged you to participate in mass. The problem is you are not brain damaged but faith damaged because you were too busy being rebellious. And instead of growing up in your faith you grew down.

Is there a therapy for you? Yes and for two reasons: God loves you and your parents are praying for you.

Would you care to take a calculated risk? Nobody will take away your free will. That is the calculation about the risk I am offering you. The risk? Well, you could experience a "crush", magic, thrill, and obsession regarding Christ. That is the risk. It IS dangerous because you could finish up as a saint. Just kidding. I don’t want to scare you off. But I guarantee that you will not be bored ever again. You will fight it out with the Lord, you may feel resentment against Him, you will protest, you will cajole, you will reason with Him, you will perhaps be stubborn and mute before Him. But you will never ever be bored again. Isn’t that worth the risk? And any time you can jig out if it all. When it becomes too dangerous…

If you want to take that risk read the chapter 11 of Romans and come back with your discovery: Where did you recognize yourself? I will hurry you on then.

And be careful. Don’t take down the Bible in the full view of your parents. They might faint.

3er Domingo de Adviento

Deja a Dios gozarse en ti

(P. Luis J. Tamayo)

Este domingo se llama el domingo del “gaudete”, es decir, de la alegría. 

Además de los temas que ya vimos las dos primeros domingos de Adviento: 1º prepararnos para devolverle el verdadero contenido a la Navidad – la persona del niño Jesús – y 2º prepararnos mediante la colaboración con la gracia de Dios – a imitación de la Virgen -. Este tercer domingo de Adviento la liturgia nos invita a la alegría, pero no a una alegría superficial… sino a la alegría profunda de lo que significa que Dios sigue naciendo hoy.

La primera lectura del profeta Sofonías (3, 14-18) “Regocíjate, hija de Sión, grita de júbilo Israel; alégrate y gózate de todo corazón, Jerusalén.” (La hija de Sión, Israel y Jerusalén son la misma prefiguración de la Iglesia de hoy).  San Pablo también lo dice (Filipenses 4, 4-7) “Estad siempre alegres en el Señor, os lo repito, estad alegres.”  Y el Salmo 12 nos da la razón de porque estar profundamente alegres: “El Señor es mi Dios y salvador: confiaré y no temeré, porque mi fuerza y mi poder es el Señor, él fue mi salvación. El Señor hizo proezas, anunciadlas a toda la tierra; gritad jubilosos, habitantes de Sión: ‘Qué grande es en medio de ti el Santo de Israel’.”

La invitación es hacer la experiencia de que Dios es mi Salvador.  Ayer hablaba con una persona y hablábamos precisamente de esto, de reaviviar la conciencia de cómo Dios es salvador. Me decía: “que importante es estar limpio de conciencia delante del Señor, que la deshonestidad en todos los ámbitos de la vida no me delate, sino que me pueda presentar delante de mi conciencia y delante de Dios limpio... – y subrayaba con un suspiro – esto da mucha paz!” Yo le afirmé y le dije que solo así uno toca el agradecimiento profundo, el agradecimiento que brota del corazón.

Adviento es ese tiempo de preparación, tiempo de pararse y ver la acción de Dios en mi vida, en mi historia. Coger un cuaderno y pararse a escribir la acción de Dios en mi vida: Aquel momento que no tenía fuerzas, y al final brotó la iniciativa y salí de ello.  Aquella situación donde no había esperanza y ni solución, y luego las cosas se arreglaron.  Aquella enfermedad de la cual me reestablecí y la fortaleza me vino como un milagro. Aquel detalle de esa persona que no esperaba. El empezar con poco y ahora darme cuenta que Dios es providente y mi confianza en El ha crecido. Mirar a mis hijos y ver en ellos un regalo de Dios, ver la generosidad de Dios en confiármelos. 

Son grandes dones (no materiales) los que recibimos: La fortaleza, la esperanza, la lucidez para tomar una decisión, la salud, la confianza en Dios, la generosidad de Dios, etc.  Cuando uno se para y ve todos estos dones y lo que Dios ha hecho en mi vida… ¿Cómo no ha de brotar el júbilo, la alegría y el gozo? ¿Cómo no afirmarse en la verdad de que Dios sigue naciendo en mi vida? ¿Cómo no reafirmar mi fe y mi gratitud a Dios? No estar alegres sería signo de ingratitud hacia Dios.

Lo que dice el Salmo: El Señor hizo proezas, anunciadlas a toda la tierra; gritad jubilosos, habitantes de Sión: ‘Qué grande es en medio de ti el Santo de Israel’.”

Estos días, frente a estas lecturas yo me paraba para descubrir sus proezas en mi vida… y tengo que decir que me alegra gritar y anunciar ¡Que grande es Dios en mi vida! y lo digo de corazón… de verdad… Y estos días le decía a Dios: ¿cómo agradecértelo? Y cuando preguntas El no tarda en darte la respuesta…

El jueves me pasó una cosa muy simpática.  Estamos organizando el concierto de villancicos clásicos de Navidad (sábado 19 de dic. después de la misa de 8pm).  Don Luis me dice, hemos hecho estos carteles, a ver si los colgamos por el barrio.  Para mi esta fue la respuesta… Era como Jesús diciendo, aprovecha esta ocasión para hacer que mucha gente joven del barrio que no viene a la Iglesia se acerque, los villancicos son una ocasión preciosa para evangelizar…

Y así lo hice.  El viernes por la mañana con los 17 pósters… me metí a pedir permiso en el supermercado, en “los chinos”, en el bar de cañas, en el salón de belleza, en la farmacia, en la panadería, en el dentista… cada póster que colocaba me llenaba de alegría. Era el Señor gozándose en mí… no lo puedo describir de otra forma.

El verdadero gozo del Señor viene de la alegría de anunciarle, de prepararle los caminos, de acercarle a la gente.  Es el dar, el servir, el querer llevar a Jesús a los demás lo que más alegría da… pues Dios te fortalece para su misión. 

Homily for 3rd Sunday of Advent (13 Dec 2009)

Fr James McTavish FMVD

“Rejoice!” - a commandment

At the moment I am teaching Catholic morality. Often when we think of morality what comes to mind are a set of rules and regulations, do and don’ts (and mostly don’ts!). How interesting to note what we are commanded to do on this Sunday of Advent, which is commonly known as gaudete Sunday is to ...rejoice! This is a commandment.

In the first reading of the prophet Zephaniah we have “Shout for joy, sing joyfully, be glad and exult with all your heart” Wow! Let’s party! It is a time to be joyful. What can be the reason of our joy? Thinking of the gifts we will receive? Usually we enjoy them for a while but then later we lose interest. Thinking of all the nice food we will eat? Yes but we also know that in January we have to begin the year with a diet! What can we be joyful about? That Christmas is coming and Christ will be born in our lives! What does that mean? The Word becomes flesh. He becomes man, for us and for our salvation! St Augustine said “For what greater grace could God have dawned upon us than that he, who only had one Son, made him the son of man, and in turn made the son of man a son of God”. This is the best gift that God can give this Christmas, to allow us sons of men to become children of God. It is to share in the divine life, to share in the very life of God and for this we should be joyful!

St Paul in the second reading continues this theme of joy. “Brothers and sisters: Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!” Sometimes we find it hard to rejoice because we have many worries. In one moment this week I found myself burdened with anxiety about all the things I had to do. I was taking myself a bit too seriously. Sometimes we have genuine concerns but at other times it can be because we give ourselves too much importance, we can feel that we are the only ones doing anything. We are reminded “The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (See Phil 4, 4-7). Present all your worries to the Lord. Don’t say to God that you have a big problem but say to your problem you have a big God! Then we will experience that peace that only Christ, the Prince of Peace, can bring.

Our preparation for the coming of the Lord is not only manifested interiorly but also exteriorly. All the people were asking John the Baptist that important question “What should we do?” What shall we do for Christmas to really prepare our lives for his coming? John gives them some advice; “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none” (see Luke 3, 10-18). Christmas is a wonderful time to remember the poor. There is a couple near our house who organized a street party for poor children. Twenty years ago they had 15 kids coming. This year there will be 500!

St Basil the Great said “the coat, which you guard in your locked storage-chests, belongs to the naked; the footwear mouldering in your closet belongs to those without shoes.” Of course it is not enough to know these things but to put them into practice so this morning I checked through my closet. I only have one pair of shoes but I did find 4 shirts that I don’t use, so I washed them and tomorrow will give them to a nearby congregation of sisters who will distribute them to the poor who live near us. It is scandalous that many Christians are living in excess yet so many have nothing. “Luxury corrupts more than poverty” my African friend told me. How great to be generous, not like the stingy Scrooge in the novel 'Christmas Carol' by Dickens, but to be kind at Christmas to the poor and needy.

Let us be generous, not simply materially but also spiritually. We can help others prepare for the coming of the Lord. Last night I was so happy seeing two missionaries in my community in the chapel late at night preparing the Word of God ...in chinese! Wow! How great is that, to help prepare the way for the coming of the Lord. The Lord is coming “The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; he will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, he will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” (See Zeph 3, 14-18a).

Let us prepare well our hearts like John the Baptist, help to prepare the way of the Lord in the lives of many people. Sometimes we feel ill-prepared, and it is true we need to prepare our own lives first, often we desire to wait until we are more perfect. But don’t wait too long! Even John was not totally well prepared. In fact theologically he was announcing a salvation of wrath and repentance when in fact the Lord came wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger announcing a message of mercy and compassion! But John kept announcing because he knew that one greater than him was coming. And this too is our boldness, and what makes our joy complete. Our imperfections will not stop the coming of Christ but then again he needs us to help prepare the way in the lives of many. May this be our great joy.

Rejoice, we all have a mission and there is work to be done. Don’t be anxious, the Lord is near. He is coming soon. Let us help prepare for his coming. Amen.