Friends in Christ, today we begin the New Year.
Through the centuries, in the church, January 1st has been commemorated in different ways. In the early years in Rome, this day honored Mary as the Mother of God; by the 7th century, influence from the Eastern Church led us to emphasize more, the other Marian feasts; later, following the practice in Spain and France, today commemorated Christ’s infancy and Circumcision. Nevertheless, all along, the prayers of the Mass have retained the ancient tradition of honoring the Motherhood of Mary.
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There is a painting by Beate Heinen called ‘The Manger and the Cross.’ In the foreground one sees the stable with the newborn Child Jesus in the manger; from this little scene, a path leads out and through a beautiful meadow; but the path winds further and further in the distance, up a steep and gloomy hill, with three crosses on top of it. As someone has said, ‘the wood of the cradle and the wood of the cross are the same. The cradle was the first step to the cross.
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This little Child has a long and difficult path to follow, but the Mother is there with him at the beginning, as well as the finish. So we can see that God’s plan to save us from our sins – from the beginning, it involved the Son and the Mother.
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The Son of God is Eternal, he has always been; the 2nd Person of the Holy Trinity, through whom all things were made; the Son of God is Divine. Yet in time, this Son came down from heaven, and took flesh from the Virgin Mary, and became Man. This Jesus, who is True God and True Man, is the Child of Mary, and so we rightly call her the Mother of God. Now as Mary is the Mother of her Son, and was with him along his difficult journey of life, so too is Mary our Mother, who is with us in all the things of life.
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St. Ambose, speaking of Jesus in the womb of Mary, says that virtually, we were all there with him. And God revealed to St. Bridget that although Jesus was Mary’s first-born Son in the flesh, all of mankind are her other children according to the Spirit. As the lives of Jesus and Mary are intertwined and inseparable, so the Mystery of our own Redemption, looks to Jesus the Savior, and Mary our Mother.
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A beautiful Catholic prayer calls to mind these Mysteries of our salvation, the Angelus. Unlike other prayers that we say, the Angelus is said, not just whenever we wish, but at specific times of day. At 6:00am, 12noon, and 6:00pm. The idea is to stop what you are doing, and pray. It is a kind of test of our love of God: ‘Will you stop what you are doing and pray now?’ ‘Are you willing to tear yourself away from the newspaper or the internet – to pray.
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A friend from the Philippines told me that even today, if you are in some of the malls there shopping, at noon a bell is rung, and many stop to pray the Angelus. Here, on Catholic, Relevant Radio, the Angelus is broadcast each day so that you can pray along.
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Fr. Roger Scheckel writes about rural life in the Midwest, years ago; then, the Angelus was a normal part of daily life; he says, ‘one could look out at the fields at the noon bell, and see the farmers and their horses stop in their tracks for the Angelus. Even the horses automatically knew to stop when they heard the Church bell.
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Sister Nirmala, a nun in India, was asked “How did you come to know Jesus Christ?”
“I did not wish to, she said. I was very happy being a Hindu. But when I was visiting a Catholic school, when the bell rang at noon, a young girl knelt down to pray her Angelus. I stood there looking at her, and something happened, a movement in my soul and I felt that the living Jesus came to me.’ That new convert would one day succeed Mother Teresa as the Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity.
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The Angelus in one prayer, summarizes the great events of these Christmas days. It begins: ‘The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, and she conceived by the Holy Spirit.’ This is the Mystery of the Annunciation. God makes the initiative, Mary is invited to become the Mother of God. ‘Mary, what will you say? Please say yes, for our sake, for our salvation.
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‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me according to Thy word. Mary gives her ‘yes’ to be the Mother of God, to walk this path of salvation with her Son, no matter the cost. As is said, ‘the humility of the Blessed Virgin drew the Eternal Word down from heaven.’
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The last aspiration of the Angelus: ‘And the Word was made Flesh, and dwelt among us.’ The Son of God became flesh yes, many years ago. But when we pray the Angelus, we are reminded that he is here, in us, in the flesh, in his Mystical Body. We are not alone. And this is good to know, in the middle of our work day.
Finally we pray: ‘Pour your grace O Lord, into our hearts….., .
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By praying this prayer at mid-day we are reminded of Mary’s love, and God’s closeness to us. And we ask that God would pour his grace into our hearts, to help us.
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As the New year begins, perhaps we could make a resolution to pray the Angelus at least at noon each day. Stopping our work – giving our Will to God; and asking for his grace.
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May the Mother of God intercede for us in the New Year ahead, that we ourselves, may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.
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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. John Vianney]
Friends in the Lord, we are these days in the Octave of Christmas.
A liturgical “octave” is an eight day period following and including the feast, in this case, Christmas, but we also have an Octave for Easter. In a way, the Church suspends time so that we can “rest” within the mystery that we have celebrated, and consider it from different angles.
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Perhaps you have gone to a museum and seen a magnificent statue. Glancing at it for a moment is not enough; you want to spend some time. You look at it first from this direction, then another. You walk around it to see it from various points of view, and examine some detail.
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In the same way, a single day per year does not suffice to gather in the different dimensions of the mystery of a great feast such as Christmas. An octave allows us to reflect on a feast in different ways.
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During Advent, we reflected a lot on the prophets who foretold the coming Savior; we are reading these days about the events of Christ’s infancy, for example Anna in the temple, who sees the long anticipated fulfillment of the prophecies.
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Pius Parsch says, that the feasts of Sts. Stephen, John the Evangelist, and the Holy Innocents which we celebrate during the Octave, permit us to approach Christ, first as martyrs, then as virgins, then as virgin-martyrs.
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Theologically speaking, an octave anticipates the eternal bliss of heaven. The old Creation is based on a cycle of 7 days, 7, being the final day of creation. But the 8th day is a sign of the New Creation, it is a sign of the resurrection and of heaven. Many of the ancient baptismal fonts from the first centuries are 8-sided, recalling the New Creation; and so, the Octave, 8, calls to mind Eternal Life.
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It is also fitting to celebrate the Holy Family within the Octave of Christmas which we did. The Holy Family teaches, points us, to the Communion of life in heaven, in God himself, the ‘family’ of the Holy Trinity, our goal.
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And so we see that the Octave is a time to contemplate the many aspects of this great Mystery of Christmas, of God made man, and all that it implies for us.
Friends in the Lord, today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Innocents.
The Holy Innocents are those children who were massacred by King Herod in his attempt to destroy the Child Jesus. We call these children ‘martyrs,’ because they died in the place of Christ; Jesus escaped, but their lives were taken. St. Augustine compares these tiny martyrs, to springtime buds on a tree: “They were the first buds,’ he says, ‘killed by the frost of persecution.
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People ask, how can God permit such evil: the death of those little, innocent children? St. Thomas Aquinas, and also St. Augustine say: God would not have allowed the massacre, if he did not plan to bring a benefit to those children.
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If there is no next life, then such tragedy is horrible and meaningless. But this is the point in Jesus’ coming: he has changed death into life. Christmas is about Jesus coming to win victory over death, for us. Those children are in heaven, interceding for us now. There can be no greater honor than to die for Christ. Death is laughed at by believers in Christ. We Catholics laugh at death. This is because we know that God will raise us up in the resurrection, he will renew all things. ‘Behold, I make all things new,’ says the Lord.
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My father had that inscription placed around the rim of my ordination chalice – it says: Ecce nova facio omnia: ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ The Holy Innocents are not dead, but alive. Their death was because of Jesus Christ, and so now they rejoice in victory with him.
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True story: A preacher read some liberal, fool-hardly book, and proceeded to say in a sermon that the death of the Holy Innocents was a myth, that the bible is just stories. As he walked out of the Church he fell down and broke both arms. Now this man’s friend, another ‘progressive thinker,’ the next year, preached the same thing; I tell you the truth: he too, broke both arms!
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I therefore will stand with the Holy Scriptures as true. Today we honor the Holy Innocents, as a bold affirmation, that death is only the beginning of life, and that despite the trials here below, we hope to one day praise God above.
Christmas
‘I bring you tidings of great joy. For a Savior has been born to you.’
This is what the angels said to the shepherds, and so I say it to you, ‘A Savior has been born to us, who is Christ the Lord.’
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Beloved in Jesus Christ, we have arrived at Christmas, when God has come into the world, to live among us, to live with us, to save us.
In the Holy Gospel of St. Luke, if you go and read chapter 3, there it speaks of the circumstances of those ancient days, when Christ was born. He says, ‘In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar–when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee,….and during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas….’ The Holy Bible tells us the situation of the world then.
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‘It was the reign of Tiberius Caesar.’
This was the Roman Emperor, who cultivated the idea that the emperor was a god, and should be worshiped. Caesar, this dark and gloomy figure, sitting on the throne of the world. – Yuck.
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The govenor of Judea was Pontius Pilate.
This was the man who had Christ scourged and crucified. A letter of complaint was once issued against him: ‘The governor is a gruesome, obstinate man. He is corrupt and predatory; he abuses the people and is executing countless people without trial.’ This was the man who, in order to finance an aqueduct system, simply stole the money from the synogogues. He had only one priority in life: himself.
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St. Luke further tells us, that at that time Herod was tetrarch of Galilee. Herod was an arrogant, blood-thirsty beast; a self-indugent hedonist, he wasted all his energy on his own passions. He killed his father-in-law, several of his 9 wives, and two of his own sons; and to put an end to the Christ-child, he ordered the murder of the little children of Bethlehem.
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At that time also, St. Luke tells us that it was during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiphas. Annas was a poor excuse for a priest; having lost his position, he used his political influence to keep his sons in the office. Caiphas was a back-stabbing, evil person, who discovered one thing: religion as a means to power.
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Friends, this was the historic situation – the state of the world then. Was there really, a more hopeless-feeling time of history? And into all of this – God stepped into the world. ‘And the angel said unto them, “fear not, for I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord.’
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The Son of God did not come down from heaven to wipe out the Herods and Caesars and Pilates of the world. He comes down from heaven silently, in peace, quietly; a Light into a dark world.
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That Light was in Mary, the Holy Virgin, and it came to St. Joseph. The Light spread – to shepherds and wise men, and it would come to many disciples and apostles. It was a healing Light. But it was quiet.
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Our Lord did not come down from heaven only once, 2000 years ago; he is in this world today. He is born on our altars at Holy Mass, his Light dwells in our hearts and in our souls, in our bodies and in our minds, if we invite him. He dwells silently, in peace.
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God knows what the world is like. He sees the violence and hatred; he sees charlatans leading people to perversion and sin; God knows about the creeps and the terrorists, yet he lives silently in every Christian, in tranquility and peace.
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Friends, the world needs the Light of peace. This is a special Peace, it is the Peace of God. It comes in only one way: doing the will of God, in Faith. If we are living in every detail, the will of God, to the praise of God, then that great peace of Christ will enliven us with his joy.
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St. Francis de Sales says, the worst thing that can happen to us is sin; but the 2nd worst thing that can happen, is anxiety, or worry. Regardless of the external, troubling events of our time; regardless of the external events of our own situation – we do God’s will now, today, this hour – what Christ wants, come what may – and then we have peace.
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‘Lord, you want me to be perfectly honest, then I will, come what may.
‘You want me to show charity, even to my enemies, I will.
‘You want me to be pure and good with my body, I will.
‘You want me to trust you, and not to worry – then I will.
And then the peace of God, which is beyond all understanding, will dwell in our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus our Lord – as St. Paul says.
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Just before his Passion, Our Lord said: ‘I have told you these things that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have affliction; but take courage, I have overcome the world.’
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If we are doing God’s will daily, praying, Holy Mass, confessing our sins, living for God’s glory – the peace of Christ will flood our hearts and minds.
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It is true, in the world we have affliction, but as the Lord has said: ‘Take courage, I have overcome the world.’
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In these coming days of the glorious Christmas season, let us ask the Blessed Virgin to pray for us;
Mary, help us to hold onto the Light of Christ, and in these days to come, experience the joy and peace of this Christ-Child, who is born to us.
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[Entrusted to the prayers of Venerable Mother Maria Kaupas]
Friends in the Lord, we’ve read in the scriptures in these days, about Zechariah – he was officiating as a priest in the temple and was struck dumb, unable to speak, because he did not believe the angel; and his wife is Elizabeth, who will become the mother of John the Baptist.
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Today Zechariah’s tongue is loosed and he is able finally to speak, and it is interesting, that the people thought his son should be named after him; but the parents insisted that his name would be John. Here we are seeing the displacement of the Old Covenant by the New Covenant.
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Zechariah is a priest of the Old Covenant, a Levitical Priest. His priesthood was under the Law; he offered animal and grain sacrifices to God, which could not take away sins. The temple, and his priesthood, and those sacrifices however, were symbols pointing to the New Temple, and New Priesthood of Christ, thereby anticipating the True Sacrifice which will take away the sins of the world.
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Elizabeth and Zechariah represent the Old Covenant. Notice that they were sterile, signifying that they did not have the grace of Christ. But now with the coming of the Lord, both Elizabeth and Zechariah are filled with the Holy Spirit – grace comes to them. ‘And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, she was filled with the Holy Spirit.’ ‘And immediately his tongue was loosed, and Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit.’
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The name Elizabeth means ‘promise of God,’ or ‘God’s oath’. God promised he would save his people. The name Zechariah means ‘God remembered.’ God has not forgotten his people, the Savior is come. And the name John, which they insisted he have, means ‘God gives grace.’
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Thomas Aquinas says, it is evident by allegory that John the Baptist came to announce the grace of the New Covenant. The Jews who were under the Law of the Old Covenant wanted John to be named after his father, a priest of the Old Covenant; but the name John means the grace of God, and the ancient priesthood, of ceremonies and sacrifices was only a foreshadowing of the New Covenant; John comes to announce the New Covenant of grace.
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A torrent of grace poured onto the world at that first Christmas; so let’s us, be open to God’s grace in the coming days of Christmas.
Friends in Christ, today, as we near Christmas, we encounter Mary in the gospels, bursting forth into praise. This poetic exclamation by Our Lady is called her ‘Magnificat.’ “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.’
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Mary shows us, that for those full of faith, their life bursts forth in testimony to God’s greatness. For years, as a youth, the Blessed Virgin prayed for the Savior to come; she prayed for that virgin, who was foretold by Isaiah, who would bear the Redeemer. She had no idea that it would be herself! But since she IS that virgin, she rejoices.
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It’s true – Mary knew that her life would not be easy from that day forward, she knew of her heavy responsibility, and the cross that lie ahead. Yet, her total trust in God causes her to have peace, to simply continue to do his will, and to rejoice. ‘The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.’
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It kind of reminds me of King David, who, seeing the favors of God in his life, went in and sat before the Lord and said: ‘Who am I Lord, that you have brought me to this point.’
Who am I? What am I, that you would do all this for me?
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God wishes that we too would see his blessings in our life, and that in the same way, we would thank him and praise him. The more that we do this, the more that we bring the Christ-life alive in ourselves, the more Jesus is born in us.
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St. Ambrose writes about this in the Sunday Breviary: He says: In the same way as Mary ‘you also are blessed because you have heard and believed. A soul that believes, also conceives and brings forth the Word of God, and acknowledges his works. ‘Let Mary’s soul be in each of you, he says, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in you, to rejoice in the Lord.
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Christ has only one mother in the flesh, but we all bring forth Christ in faith. Every soul receives the Word of God if only it remains pure and free from sin. The soul that succeeds in this, proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary’s soul magnified the Lord and her spirit rejoiced.
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The word ‘magnificat’ means ‘magnify.’ The image of God is in us, and the more that we live the Christ-life, the more that God is magnified in us, and then we share in His greatness.
4th Sunday of Advent
Beloved in Jesus Christ,[i]
back in the 4th century, there lived an old hermit named Abba Abraham; he was a man of prayer, living a simple life as a monk in the desert. Now it so happened that his brother died, leaving Abraham’s niece Maria, in need of care. He therefore arranged for her to live nearby him in her own little hut. To his delight, the girl embraced this simple life. She came to love prayer and the things of God.
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Now there was a certain man who used to visit Abraham, pretending to want spiritual advice; but his heart became impassioned for Maria; for a full year he softened her up with his cunning words, until one day he seduced her and defiled her. Maria, who had tried to be a woman of prayer, was sickened at her sin, and wept day and night. Feeling hopeless, she fled to another city, and in desparation, began to live as a prostitute.
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For years, Abraham never knew what had become of his niece; but one day, news was brought to him of her circumstance. Immediately, he called for a horse and asked for the clothes of a soldier, so that he might find her without being recognized. He put on the clothes and a large hat to hide his face. He wore this style of clothes, so that he might save his niece, and then he made haste for that city.
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When he arrived at the brothel, he asked for her, and went to her room pretending to be a customer. He could hardly hold back the tears when he saw her dressed as a harlot. But sitting down on the bed, he revealed his identity; for the whole night, in tears and sobs, he taught her of the mercy of God; she brightened up, seeing that there really was hope of God’s forgiveness; then he said to her, ‘let us go out of here together,’ and they went home. Maria returned to her life of prayer, and God even gave her the gift of healing, such that many would go to her to be healed of their illness.
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Friends in Christ, There are only 5 more days until Christmas, the event that changed the world. The Lord in heaven saw us as sinners, lost and hopeless; we, who have given ourselves over in harlotry to other gods and to our sins. But in order to save us, the Son of God dressed in our human nature and journeyed to a far land to live among sinners, in order to rescue us.
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We can compare God’s action to that of Abrahm rescuing his niece, but the event of Christmas is much more profound even than that. St. Leo says that the Son of God could have sanctified us by his infinite power in some other way, but the Creator of the Universe deigned in his infinite goodness, to unite his divine nature to the nature of a servant and be born into time.
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When I think of this – when we think of this – how overwhelming to see this love of our Creator for us. And this is what overwhelmed Mary, to whom came her Maker, to participate in human life. ‘How can this be?, she asks the angel. And when she visited Elizabeth also, Elizabeth was overwhelmed with what God was doing. ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb. ‘How can this happen,’ she said.
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That the Creator would choose to do this – enter into our life, is an example of the humility of God, his lowering of himself down to us. St. Paul tells us: ‘[The Lord has] emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being made in the likeness of men.’
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So when people think, ‘God just doesn’t understand what I am going through,’ or when people distance themselves from God, who they think is Light-Years away in another universe – those who live a life of quiet desperation, alone and Godless – the truth is that this Creator of ours has taken a keen interest in the most intimate concerns of our heart.
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‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses.’ This is what St. Paul says. ‘Therefore he was made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful high priest, to make atonement for us.’
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I was looking on-line recently, and I saw that once a British skeptic of the 19th century said, ‘three words should be carved over all church doors: ‘Important, if true.’
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There are plenty of skeptics today, and people who have lost their faith –
They should be at least as honest as that British skeptic: ‘Important, if true.’ If God really has entered his own creation, taken on our life, and suffered and died for each person – this God, who knows and loves us; then the consequence is enormous: we have to give him our whole life. We owe him everything. There is no other adequate response.
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The secular world wants to enjoy a happy holiday with all the lights and decorations and presents to brighten up winter. They want Christmas without Christ. But they refuse to face directly, the claim of the season. If this claim is false, then Christmas is not to be celebrated, but reviled. But if this claim is true, it means their life must completely change.
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This claim: First, that the Son of God exists: the ‘Word,’ as we call him. ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.’
And the second claim: that this Son of God, the Word, actually entered our life, walked the earth, and dwells with us today. ‘The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.’
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‘Important, if true.’
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The lack of faith today leads to a morose languor, a depletion of joy hanging over our towns like a depressing smog. Let us then – let’s we ourselves marvel again at the feast that’s coming up: when the Son of God, seeing our poor lives left heaven and came in disguise among us, to rescue us; when he put on flesh to save us.
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Mary, pray for us, that in this holy season our own lives may radiate an unshakable faith, a hope in the truth of Christmas; and bring the Light of hope to our world.
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‘Important, if true.’
Yes. It is very important – because it is true.
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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Joseph]
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[i] Harlots of the Desert, p. 97
Friends in Christ, today we begin this series of holy days running up to Christmas. The gospel today contains the genealogy of Jesus, demonstrating Christ’s human lineage, all the way back to Abraham.
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Now gallons of ink have been spilt, commenting on the meaning and symbols of this genealogy. But some scholars, and skeptics, have pointed to the curious phrase that concludes the genealogy: ‘The generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian exile to the Christ fourteen generations.’ Now if we count, we will see that indeed, the first two lists have 14 names, but the final list has only 13. ‘Aha!,’ say the skeptics, an error. St. Matthew miscounted!’
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A professor once told me, ‘when you see something in scripture that seems strange, study it more, because something great is there.’ Many explanations have been attempted to explain this supposed ‘error.’ How can Matthew say that there are 3 sets of 14 generations up to Christ, when the last set – especially the one that includes the birth of Christ – when that one, seems to be missing one generation?
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Well, why don’t we ask the saints? St. Hilary, writing back in the 4th century says that one cannot read Holy Scripture superficially, for there are important hidden meanings there. He says that we are told there are 14 generations until Mary, yet we only count 13. In reality, this is not an error, because Our Lord Jesus Christ did not take his origin from Mary alone. Christ’s Eternal Generation by the Father is also to be included.[i]
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Therefore, Matthew was not mistaken or in error; generation refers to ‘begetting; the one birth of Christ should be considered as having two generations: his being born from Mary as Man, and his being Eternally Begotten by the Father. Matthew therefore listed the 13 human generations, but says that there are 14, in order to include the Divine generation. He added together the generations from the Father and from Mary, to teach that the eternal Son of God and the Son of Mary are one and the same Person. And this is what we are preparing to celebrate next week.
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[i] Mary and the Fathers of the church, p. 183.
Friends in Christ, today in the scriptures, Isaiah and also David in the psalms, they cry out for the Savior to come down from heaven. ‘Let the clouds rain down the Just One, and the earth bring forth a Savior, says the Psalmist. And Isaiah: ‘Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above, like gentle rain, let the skies drop it down.’
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The coming of the Savior is alluded to, as a gentle rain that comes down, or a dewfall. But the Lord’s coming down from heaven required some preparation. The saints tell us that God, having decided to become man in order to redeem lost humanity, needed to choose a Mother. God therefore sought the world over for the maiden that was the most holy and humble. The Son of God was preparing to drop down like rain to a parched earth, but He needed a safe beginning point, a ‘beachhead’ as they say in a battle, as God comes to take back the earth.
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And so God, having admired the Virgin Mary for her virtues and simplicity declared: ‘This one is my dove, my perfect one,’ to quote the scriptures. In the Song of Songs, Mary is referred to. It says, ‘While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent up its sweet scent’ St. Antoninus explains this passage in the following way: Spikenard, he says, is used to produce a beautiful perfume, with an exquisite scent. It is a small and lowly plant. And so this little, humble plant is a symbol of Mary. Therefore, it was the sweet scent of Mary’s humility, which ascended to heaven and awakened the Divine Word, reposing in the bosom of the Eternal Father, and drew him down into his Mother’s womb.
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The Lord was drawn down from heaven as it were, by the sweet scent of the goodness of the virgin Mary, to become man and redeem a lost world.
We enter tomorrow the special days leading up to Christmas; it is a time of holiness, we wish to make it a time of peace. We ask that our prayers ascend to heaven with a sweet scent, to awaken the Divine Spouse, that he would shower us with many graces in the coming days.
3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)
Beloved in Jesus Christ, at every Passover, the Jewish people reserve a cup of wine and a place setting, for the arrival of Elijah. It was believed that the prophet Elijah would come again at the time of the Messiah. The ancient rabbis had written a great deal about it. The tradition was so strong, that at seder meals, and even to this day, not only is a cup of wine poured for Elijah, but the door is left standing open for his coming. Also, in the concluding ceremony of the Sabbath, an appeal is made to God, that Elijah would arrive during the next week. ‘Let him come quickly,’ says the prayer, ‘let him come with the messiah.’
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But this expectation of Elijah preparing the way was no idle tradition. The prophet Malachi who lived centuries before Christ, wrote: ‘Lo I will send you Elijah the prophet, before the Lord comes, to turn hearts of children to their fathers. Lo, I will send you Elijah.
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So knowing this, the people asked John the Baptist: Who are you? And he said, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, Are you Elijah? Now John DID wear a leather belt and a garment of camel’s hair as did Elijah. But the truth would be, that it was not Elijah himself who would come, but one in the spirit of Elijah; John, out of humility, says ‘I am not he.’
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Thousands of years of preparation and prophecy, had foretold the Savior. The long line of prophets, and writings, and symbols were about to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. John was too humble to say that he fulfilled the last prophecy; but in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Christ says so: ‘And he said to them, the prophets and the Law prophesied until John the Baptist; and if you can accept it, he is Elijah, who was to come.
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And so John the Baptist stood at the pinnacle of prophecy, at the very gate of the New Covenant. John the Baptist stands as the dividing line between the Old Law and the New Law. As Malachi’s prophecy of Elijah closes the Old Testament, John appears, at the opening of the New Testament.
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‘Who are you?,’ they asked John. In his humility, he could not give a theological answer, of how he is the forerunner to the Savior – no. He could only say, ‘I am not even worthy to undo the strap of his sandal.’
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The question they posed to John can be answered by us as well: ‘Who are you?’ Each of us will face that truth one day before our Maker; this question will cut through all the layers of delusion and rationalization; only what is real will be seen; and if we are honest, this should be a fearful thought.
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‘Who are you?’ This question will not only ask what we have said, what we have done, and with what motives we did things; it will go straight to who we are. ‘Who am I – really?’
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A friend of mine says he was at someone’s home, a Catholic. It was a very nice home, high quality. But he said, ‘there was not a single image of faith there, not a crucifix, no image of Mary, there were no meal prayers said; he said, ‘I wonder what really motivates that family, it didn’t seem to be God.’
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Advent is a time to look inside, to honestly ask that question of ourselves: ‘Who are you?’ ‘Who am I?’ Can I say, ‘I am a Christian.’ Can we say that our motives and thoughts and dealings with others, are driven by our love of God?
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The North American martyr St. Isaac Jogues was tortured by Mohawk Indians, but he escaped and was sent back to France. He said to his superior: “Father, the tortures were very great, but God is greater. I want whatever the Lord wants.’ And he went back again. His life was simply about God, come what may.
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‘Who are you?’ – this will one day be asked of us by the most powerful Creator, and our destiny will be decided not by how we answer, but by what is evident.
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In this life we wear many masks. There is the external mask we wear so that others think we are something, concealing our dark shadows or even leading a double-life. And there are the internal masks that we wear to deceive ourselves: the mask of rationalizing what we do and how we are.
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Psychologists tell us that we build up around our mind – we create an elaborate world-view – in order to protect and pacify our conscience. We distance ourself from reality.
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We make many compromises. Basing decisions on what can be gained, instead of what is right – acting for the sake of popularity or approval – building layers around us, complicating the truth of who we are, and separating ourselves from reality.
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We’ve maybe met people who are always scheming and calculating so that whatever they do is to their advantage. This kind of a life is joyless, with no foundation, one big deception.
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John the Baptist is presented to us during Advent, as an example of one who was not afraid of what others say; he spoke truth – it got him into trouble, he was killed for it; but he was a free man in the Lord, livingin perfect reality and truth.
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These last days preparing for Christmas call us to remove from our lives all that is not authentic. Removing the facades and poses that complicate us, but that also make us fake, and certainly not free.
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Life in Jesus Christ – is life in reality, knowing our true selves, and then living as authentic disciples of the Lord. It’s true, we’ve often tangled and complicated our life, but we can go to Mary! Mary has been called the ‘Untier of knots,’ so we can ask her to untie the knots in our life, that we may be more authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.
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[Entrusted to the prayers of St. Josemaria Escriva]
