Archive for January, 2024

Obey Christ For Abundant Life

January 28, 2024

4th Sunday of Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The people of Capernaum witnessed the authority and power of Jesus, “He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” The demons are mere creatures, but Jesus Christ is Lord. Will we heed and obey him? According to Catholic exorcists, a good confession is more powerfully effective than an exorcism. This makes sense. It is difficult to root out demonic influence in a person’s life when the person is siding with the demons in rebellions against God through grave sin. But once that person comes to Confession — repentant, seeking to sin no more — they are rejecting those sins and the demons lose some in-roads.

I once received a request from an unmarried, non-Catholic couple to help them with spiritual disturbances occurring in their home. They were hearing strange noises and voices, seeing and finding inanimate objects moving about, and their dogs were behaving strangely. Unless they were lying to me (and I can see no purpose in them lying) the couple sometimes witnessed phenomena together, which rules out the possibility of these being mere hallucinations. I visited and spoke with them, blessed their house, prayed for them, and blessed them.

When I reached out to them some months later, they said they had been thinking about contacting me again. They said that following the house blessing things had gotten better — quieter, for a time — but then the disturbances resumed and maybe worse than before. So I came back and blessed their house and both of them anew, but I admonished them again, just as I had before, that it was gravely important that they cease fornicating. I told them God’s will for them was either to marry, to live separately, or to live chastely like a brother and sister. Behaving otherwise is to lie with one’s body; simulating a permanent gift of self without vowing that same commitment before God and the world.

That man and woman and I did not know whether spiritual disturbances had occurred in that house before they moved in. However, I can see why the Lord might permit these unsettling signs for the couple’s own good: to deepen their faith in spiritual things, to help them recognize their sin, and to motivate them to change. I believe my first blessings had some effect to reveal to these non-Catholics that such blessings hold power and to validate me as a messenger. Yet these blessings did not make the disturbances go away forever since that would do them little good; making the symptoms disappear without curing the underlying disease. The couple was grateful for my visits, but I do not know what they went on to choose.

Jesus manifests his full authority over demons. “He commands…the unclean spirits and they obey him.” So one might ask, “Why doesn’t Jesus simply constrain all of the demons now, making them completely incapable of doing anything?” I suppose some imagine that without any demons there would be no further evil in the world, but temptations and sins would still remain. As St. James writes in his New Testament letter, “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire conceives and brings forth sin, and when sin reaches maturity it gives birth to death.” Would our temptations be less if the demons were no more? Quite possibly. So why does Jesus allow them to prowl about the world at all? It must be for our greater good and glory, for “God works all things for the good of those who love him.” Why was Satan allowed to tempt Jesus in the desert if not for Christ’s glory and our greater good? And notice how once Jesus said, “Get away, Satan,” then the devil left him. Jesus Christ offers each of us the grace to do his will, but will we heed and obey him?

Someday, I would like to write a book imagining modern-day America if it suddenly became impossible to commit the vast majority of sins. How would people react to God the Father decreeing that much more of his active will must be done on earth as it is in heaven? My story would describe the initial disruptions for a society in which the markets for immoral things evaporate overnight, and many other goods and jobs (like door locks and security guards) are no longer needed. Then I would tell how much society would benefit from the abolishment of sin. Imagine all of the wealth wasted on sins or on repairing sins’ effects instead being spent more usefully; not to mention the greater peace people would enjoy from never being willfully mistreated anymore. Yet my narrative would also note how much people would complain; for instance, they would insist upon their “rights” to speed or curse or lie, or to misuse their bodies or their money however they desire. They would denounce God for his tyranny, and wail and grind their teeth. For these people, it would be like a hell on earth.

In Deuteronomy, Moses proclaims to the Hebrews, “A prophet like me will the Lord, your God, raise up for you from among your own kin; to him you shall listen.” God declares about that prophet, “[I] will put my words into his mouth… Whoever will not listen to my words which he speaks in my name, I myself will make him answer for it.” Jesus is that promised prophet raised up from his own people, the Incarnate Word of God. “People were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.”

Jesus does not instruct us in order to control us. He does not command us so that he may dominate us. Jesus declares, “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that [you] might have life and have it more abundantly.” In this age, we are free to disobey God like the demons did. But in the age to come, such sins will no longer be permitted. If we die as friends of God, before we can enter heaven our love for sins will need to first be fully purged. God shall not force his enemies into heaven against their will.

Brothers and sisters, Christ is Lord. He is here to help us, not to destroy us. So choose love over sin, end your rebellions, and encounter him in the confessional. Heed his authority, obey his teachings, and embrace the more abundant life Jesus is offering you.

A Protest Against Paradise

Posted in Chastity, Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Culture, Homily, Marriage and Family, Satan, Spiritual Warfare, Sunday Homilies, Supernatural Phenomena | Leave a Comment »

We’re Called To Follow Jesus Together

January 20, 2024

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

Imagine four teenagers growing up in the same small town. They’re seniors in high school and play on the same varsity football team together. What are the odds of all of them going on to play and eventually being inducted into the Hall of Fame? The odds are tiny. Not many players are drafted by the NFL and fewer still get their names enshrined at Canton, Ohio. This scenario would require an incredible concentration of athletic talent emerging in the same place at the same time.

In today’s gospel, as Jesus passes by the Sea of Galilee, he sees two brothers, Simon and Andrew, casting their fishing nets into the sea. When Jesus says, “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men,” they abandon their nets to follow him. Walking along a little farther, Jesus sees James and John, the sons of Zebedee, mending their nets in a boat. Jesus calls them too and they leave to follow him. What were the odds of these four, young, uneducated men, living and laboring together in the same small seaside town, going on to become some of the Church’s greatest saints?

Was this all arranged through divine providence? Had God been gently guiding the course of history to prepare for the day of their calling by Christ? Or, can Jesus do great works with anyone who answers his call? Yes and yes. “God works all things for the good of those who love him,” preparing, and calling, and making them fruitful when they follow him. Look at the Prophet Jonah. Just one day’s preaching in an enormous city accomplished the people of Nineveh’s repentance, delivering them from destruction. Had God been preparing the Ninevites’ minds and hearts for that day, or did God graciously empower Jonah’s words? Yes. God prepares to do great things with us in our free cooperation with him.

There is another interesting reflection found in the calling of Simon, Andrew, James and John. These four fishermen already knew each other. They were coworkers in business together, two pairs of biological brothers, and familiar friends. These future-apostles began as Jesus’ disciples already sharing close relationships with one another. Not all twelve apostles knew each other before they followed Jesus, but they came to know each other very well. And when Jesus would send them out on missions he did not send them out alone, he sent them two by two. Jesus understands that such community and friendship is important for Christians to support each other and grow together.

Consider again the Prophet Jonah. At first, he fled alone from doing God’s will. And then, from the dark depths, he feared to die alone. Reluctantly, he came alone to preach at Nineveh, yet he still refused to forgive and pray and hope for the Ninevites’ salvation. After Jonah’s dreams were dashed (that is, when the Ninevites were not destroyed) he became angry and wished to die alone. Imagine if Jonah had had a Christian friend accompanying and supporting him. Someone to caution him to do God’s will. Someone to comfort him as he faces death. Someone to challenge him to forgive his enemies. Someone to encourage him to see the goodness in his own life and in other people. Jonah could have greatly benefited from having a companion like that.

Jesus knows Christian friendship and fellowship helps us become saints together. So cultivate such community. If you lack it, pray for it and actively pursue it. Reach out to people, have phone or video chats, invite them out to lunch, or have them over for coffee. Find fellowship in “That Man Is You,” or with our Knights of Columbus, or in our parish ladies’ group. Stick around after Masses to chat with people in our vestibule. If you see someone new at church, please make them feel welcome. Christ calls every one of us and plans to make us fruitful as we cooperate with him, but it is unlikely Jesus is asking you to follow him all by yourself. He calls us to follow him together.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Homily, Jonah, Saintly People, St. Andrew, St. John the Evangelist, St. Peter, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

His Stations of the Cross — Funeral Homily for Roger “Andy” Anderson, 91

January 14, 2024

By Deacon Dick Kostner

The Trailer of the Story of Human Life: Producer God- Actors- Andy, Jesus and Us. We lost a great member of the Holy Family on the Feast of the Holy Family. He was a quiet person in Spirit but a wonderful mentor for us in teaching us how to live a full life of happiness living out and experiencing the Stations of the Cross, of Life. Andy loved attending Mass with his faith family and loved attending our Stations of the Cross during our Lenten Season. He understood the directive from the Father that the doors to heaven are only unlocked for those who experience in their lives the Passion and Death of Life in our lives. So I thought he would like me to share with you what I saw as his personal Stations of the Cross:

The First Station: He is condemned to Die. We all know that at some point we must experience death of our body. Andy knew this but he never complained to anyone I know that this should stop us from enjoying life with our family, friends and God. He enjoyed every day that he was allowed to care for his family, friends, gardens, and lawn and never willingly failed to give thanks on Saturday Evenings and First Friday Liturgy with his Parish family.

The Second Station: He accepts and carries the Cross. Earthy life requires us to bear our crosses. Andy experienced many crosses in life from divorce to replaced knees, to bladder cancer, to death of friends, and yes family with the death of his wife Carol, and son Michael just prior to his passing. One of the greatest crosses one has to carry in living a long life is having to bury ones friends and family. I remember Father Hugh telling me at his 90th birthday party, when he had just been told he was dying, that one of the hardest things he had to experience in living so long was the fact that he lived so long that he had to be there to comfort and bury all of his dying friends.

The Third Station: The First Fall. As we grow older our bodies begin to fall apart. Andy was not a person who would ask for help. It was not in his nature to expect anyone to come to his aid he would just do the best he could to get along even when things were hurting. Most of us, like Andy, do not want anyone to know we are having problems. That’s why God gifts us with family, friends, and spouse. These special people know better then we do what is best for us. I remember Carol sneaking over to ask if I would mow his lawn for him while he was recuperating from his cancer treatments as she was suffering herself with her rheumatism, this I gladly did without his knowledge.

The Fourth Station: Meeting His Mother. I remember when I would get hurt the first person I would run to for help was my mom. Andy was a person of faith and knowing he was a prayerful person I would guess that the first person he would pray too for help and support when he found out that he was dying was our heavenly mother Mary. I witnessed many times Andy praying the rosary with his parish friends before Mass began. Mom’s don’t want their children to experience pain and suffering even when they are not the cause of the suffering and pain.

The Fifth Station: Simon helps Carry the Cross. Andy did not want to ask for help but friends and neighbors don’t need to be asked. Many times when Andy was not able to complete tasks his friends and neighbors knew that this would bother him. I witnessed his neighbors removing snow, fixing railings and painting things that needed attention, as well as raking and removing leaves when he was unable to do the same. He might not of been blood family to us but he was still thought of as being family.

The Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Stations: He falls two more time, is comforted by “Veronica’s”, Speaks to the Women and his friends, and is Stripped of his Garments. Andy continues to get worse and is cared for by Paul and Michelle at their home. He receives the Sacrament of the Sick by his Pastor, Holy Communion weekly by the Deacons and Deacon wives, and prayed for by his Parish Family. The illness progresses and he is now in need of 24 /7 care requiring him to be moved to the nursing home.

The Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth, Fourteenth Stations: The Cross and his Body become one for him, on the Feast of the Holy Family he Dies, and he is taken down from the Cross and Duried. His journey has ended and his Spirit is now able to meet in person Jesus, Mary and Joseph along with Carol, and other saints and friends he spent his life with and who he will spend eternity with.

Andy and Carol were not only our neighbors but our friends. Barb and I were able to witness their marriage on Christmas Eve in 1989. Both of them wished to have that special day as their wedding anniversary day. Last year Barb and I with the assistance of Fr. Chinnappan, had a Mass said for the two of them as our Christmas present to them. The good news is that This Faith Family will be able to continue to experience the Anderson’s presence in spirit as members of God’s Holy Family at every celebration of the Holy Mass at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. So, On behalf of this assembly of Holy Family and friends I would like to wish Andy and Carol a Happy Easter Sunday and Anniversary! We all hope to see you in heaven after we complete our own “Stations of the Cross”!

Posted in Funeral Homilies, Homily, Passion, Redemptive Suffering | Leave a Comment »

The Middle Man

January 13, 2024

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

God calls every individual to build a close relationship with him. Time and time again, the Bible narrates the call of God: to Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many others. In the New Testament, we have the call of Mary at the Annunciation, the call of Peter and his companions at the lake, the call of Matthew the Tax Collector, the call of Paul and others. God called them and they responded to him by sacrificing everything to obey his invitation.

In our relationship with God, and other people, we may need someone to connect one person to another to get through an issue. In my culture in marriages, there is a middleman who plays a very important role between two families about to come together Sometimes, to buy an important property like a piece of land or a used car, there is also a need for such a middleman. The role of middlemen ensures a cordial interaction between the two parties who are coming together in a new relationship.

In the first reading from the book of Samuel, we saw the old priest, Eli play the role of a middleman to connect the little boy, Samuel to Yahweh. In the first chapter, Hannah, the mother of Samuel had promised to dedicate her son to the Lord’s service. (1st Sam 1:11) Yet Samuel never knew anything about the Lord, therefore the person of Eli had to tell him how to connect with the Lord. Eli played his role as a middleman very effectively and the boy Samuel discovered the Lord.

In the gospel today, John the Baptist played the same role of a middleman to connect Andrew to the Lamb of God, and, through Andrew, Simon Peter. John instructed them to make them know Who was among them: John the Baptist identifies the Messiah in Jesus and tells his disciples that He is the Lamb of God. He also encourages them to be the followers of Jesus. These disciples in their turn invite others to come to be with Jesus on his mission.

We see people who have set out to play the role of Eli and John the Baptist in the lives of others. In the first place, the parents must play this very important role for their children. I can remember how my parents and my grandfather used to hold my hands while going to Church every day. Today, I see myself as a Catholic priest.

Apart from parents, we also have teachers, leaders, advisers, priests, and so on who are placed to be the Eli and the John the Baptist of our time. Many of us have guided engaged couples and been sponsors at baptisms. The very big question is: Do you direct the little “Samuels” placed under your care properly? Do you point out the Lamb of God? When we have played our roles well, it is left for God to know what to do with the boy Samuel and for the Lamb of God to know how to change Simon’s name.

God’s call is a gift and this call is given to every person. We must respond with readiness to work for him. He has called people to be missionaries, preachers, teachers, and office workers, builders of families, social workers, nurses, and persons who could be his instruments of peace. Are you listening to His call? Are you listening to the “Eli” or the “John the Baptist” that God has placed in your life?

Posted in Eli, Homily, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies | Leave a Comment »

Witnessing to Christ

January 13, 2024

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
By Fr. Victor Feltes

St. John the Baptist once saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one of whom I said, ‘A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ …I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. …The one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”

John was not afraid to acknowledge Jesus Christ before others. John said, ‘I am not the Messiah, I am not Elijah, and I am not the prophet of whom Moses spoke.’ But he affirmed, “I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the desert, “Make straight the way of the Lord!”’ And John proclaimed Jesus as one far greater than himself, acknowledging him as the Son of God. St. Vincent de Paul observed, “Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.” John the Baptist is humble because he maintains the truth about himself and acknowledges the truth about Jesus.

John is humble and, standing in the truth, is willing to fraternally correct others. He admonishes those in the crowds, Pharisees and Sadducees, tax collectors, soldiers, and even King Herod, saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” He corrects them because he loves them. If John had hated them he would have turned his back on them like Jonah did the Ninevites, hoping to see them destroyed. If we love someone, we will warn them of grave dangers to their body or soul.

Sometimes John the Baptist, when witnessing to others, shared his own spiritual experiences. John’s ministry and message were not his own inventions. He speaks of how he received his mission to baptize from heaven and testifies to what he beheld when he baptized Jesus. God still gives us signs and messages and works new miracles among us today.

Later, as John the Baptist was standing with two of his disciples, he watched Jesus walking by and said again, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” In the Old Covenant, lambs were sacrificed to atone for sins and to celebrate communion with God. John calls Jesus the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world. So those two listening disciples (that is, Andrew and likely John the son of Zebedee) follow Jesus, who turns and asks, “What are you looking for?” They reply, “Rabbi, (teacher), where are you staying?” And Jesus welcomes them, “Come, and you will see.”

So they went and stayed with him that day, and came away convinced that Jesus is the Christ. Andrew went to his brother Simon saying “we have found the Messiah” and brought him to Jesus. The next day, Jesus found Philip and said, “Follow me.” Philip then went to his friend Nathanael (also known as Bartholomew) and persuaded him to “come and see” Jesus of Nazareth too. When his future apostles encountered Christ they happily invited their friends and family members to come and know him better.

So what lessons have we received from St. John the Baptist and Jesus’ first disciples? To humbly acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and the great things he has done in you and for you. To be unashamed to acknowledge Christ before others. That if you love a person, to tactfully alert them to grave dangers to their soul. (They might not listen to your loving appeal, but it is better to warn someone unfruitfully than to regret never making the attempt.) To share your own spiritual experiences, visions, and miracles, showing others that God is personally active in our world today. And to invite your family members and friends to come and see Jesus, encountering him in private prayer and the Gospels, and most especially with us here in his Church.

Posted in Baptism of Jesus, Homily, St. John the Baptist, Sunday Homilies, The Apostles | Leave a Comment »

Lessons from the Magi

January 7, 2024

Feast of the Epiphany
By Fr. Victor Feltes

The city of Bethlehem was the birthplace and hometown of King David, the place where the sheep offered at the Temple were raised, a place whose name means “House of Bread.” There is where the Magi found Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Lamb of God, and the Bread that came down from heaven. The Magi came from the east, perhaps responding to some sign the Prophet Daniel had foretold centuries before during his Babylonian Captivity. They arrived in Jerusalem saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.”

King Herod and all of Jerusalem heard about this and Herod took the rumor seriously. He asked the chief priests and the scribes where the Christ (or Messiah) would be born. They answered with the prophesy of Micah: “in Bethlehem of Judea.” So King Herod sent the Magi to search there, using them as his unwitting spies. The Magi found the home of the Holy Family and showed homage to Jesus with his mother Mary, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh; gold for our King, frankincense for our Priest and God, and myrrh, an ancient-world embalming resin, for him who would die and rise again.

Now the town of Bethlehem is only a two hour walk from Jerusalem, but there is no record of any others who heard the rumor going there in search of the infant Christ. If they had gone and asked around, some locals would likely know the shepherds who had joyfully proclaimed the birth of the Messiah on Christmas night. “All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds,” so it would have left an impression. With a little grace, an encounter with Jesus and his Holy Family would have been found by anyone who had bothered to look. The Magi traveled hundreds of miles to find him yet many priests and scribes neglected to go a mere six miles. In your life, beware of practicing your Christian faith so feebly that you forego making the simplest sacrifices in service of Christ. Consider what simple steps—in prayer or with the sacraments, in penance or in study—you could take in this new year to draw closer to Jesus Christ.

Matthew’s gospel tells us that “having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, [the Magi] departed for their country by another way.” Recall again how Bethlehem was not far at all from Jerusalem or from Herod’s nearby palaces, so it seems the Magi had this dream before departing from the Holy Family. If the Magi had sensed that the Holy Family were in danger they would have warned them before embarking for home. The Magi either informed them, or — not sensing danger — did not.

Maybe they did warn the Holy Family of possible danger but Joseph and Mary simply did not know what to do next. Sometimes, even when trying our best, we won’t know what to do. Trust the Lord to guide your way. If the path you choose is important in God’s plan he will help you go in the right direction. Previously, when Joseph had been about to make a mistake by separating himself from Mary, God sent him an angelic message in a dream. Here again, “when [the Magi] had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, [and] flee to Egypt…’” God is supremely brilliant and resourceful. He can send you signs if you need them but, to receive God’s promptings, cultivating a heart which is open to God’s will (like St. Joseph’s was) is essential.

What if the Magi were told in the dream not to return to Herod, and perhaps even mentioned this to the Holy Family, without anyone perceiving the active threat which Herod posed? That too would contain a valuable lesson for us. If the Magi obeyed God before fully understanding his purposes, through trusting him and following his instructions their lives were saved from Herod’s sword and the Holy Family had time to escape.

Jesus Christ and his Church teach us many things about what we must or must not do, or what we should or should not do. People can be challenged by and may not yet fully understand Catholic teachings about the Sacraments, human sexuality, the beginning and end of human life, social justice, or other topics. There are good reasons behind all these teachings and it is good to explore them by researching and asking questions to understand them better, but there will be times in your life when you are called to be faithfully obedient even before you fully understand. The obedience of the Magi served Christ and likely saved their lives. Your obedience to God will bless you as well, and more than you may realize.

Posted in Christian Perfection, Epiphany, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Sacrifice, Sunday Homilies, The Magi | Leave a Comment »

Let Us Be Like the Magi

January 6, 2024

Feast of the Epiphany
By Fr. Chinnappan Pelavendran

Today we celebrate the feast of Epiphany. The word epiphany means revelation or manifestation. This feast is the revelation of God’s love for his people in the birth of Jesus Christ, who is Emmanuel: God is with us. For centuries, the prophets had proclaimed God’s love for his people, and now that love has been revealed to his people. God himself has been born into the world as a human child. He is with us, close to us in each moment, sharing his life with us. Jesus came into our human condition to seek out what was lost, and to bring us back into union with God and to himself. This is the good news for everyone: no one is excluded. Today’s psalm makes this clear. “Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.”

In the gospel, we see two kinds of people. On the one hand, the Gentile ‘Magi from the East’ seek out the newborn king of the Jews to do him homage. On the other hand, Herod and his court seek the Messiah not to do him homage but to destroy him. Let us focus our attention on the Magi; the actions of the Magi in the presence of Jesus give us a beautiful example of divine worship. The Gospel tells us: “They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”

Their first gift was gold. Among ancient people, gold was regarded as the king of metals. It was therefore the ideal gift for a king. The Magi gave Jesus all their love as pure, solid, lasting, and purified from selfish motives. They wanted to love Jesus with all their heart and mind. Their love was sincere. The second gift was frankincense. Ancient people used incense in their religious worship. The aroma and smoke, spiraling upward to heaven, spoke to them of gods and divinity. The gift of incense, therefore, is a symbol of the divinity of Jesus. It tells us that Jesus always had the nature of God but became a man and appeared in human likeness. The magi adored Jesus as God. Even today, we use incense in the liturgy as a sign of worship. We incense the gospel in which Jesus is present, the altar representing Christ, and the gifts of bread and wine on the altar, which will become the Body and Blood of Christ. The third gift was myrrh. Myrrh was used to prepare the dead for burial. Later in the Gospel, we see that the women brought myrrh to the tomb of Jesus. This gift of the Magi made an ideal symbol of human vulnerability and foreshadowed the Lord’s death. Jesus experienced sorrows, joys, fears, frustrations, loneliness, and all human emotions. He was like us in all things but sin.

The Magi also teach us how to proceed on our journey. They do not return the way they came, which would have taken them back to Herod. Their experience of being with Jesus has enlightened them. They have an inner light, a new gift of discernment and wisdom. When we meet Jesus and worship him, we do not have to return to Herod, back to the darkness, fear, and selfishness of our past and our sinful nature. The Lord gives us the grace to walk a new way. It is the way that is love: love of God and love of our neighbor.

Just as the Magi did, let us prostrate ourselves before the Lord, offering him our love, praise, and gratitude. Our “gold” is everything we have, all that we possess, and all that we consider most precious; we offer it all to him. Our “frankincense” is our prayer, devotion, zeal, contrition, thanksgiving, and all our petitions. Our “myrrh” is our sacrifices and sufferings which we offer in union with Jesus’ Passion, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. We know our gifts are imperfect and they certainly seem meager as we set them before him. However, his humility as he reveals himself before us as a poor, helpless infant strengthens our humility, and therefore makes us bold enough to give whatever we have, knowing that our every gift comes from his generosity to us.

Posted in Chrisitian Virtues, Christian Perfection, Epiphany, Feast Day Homilies, Homily, Sunday Homilies, The Magi | Leave a Comment »