Lord, help us accept trustfully your Good News!
David J. Conrad
The Good News is only good to us if we are open to change. In today’s Gospel, Jesus calls us to Repent, and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15). To repent is to have a change of mind and to believe is to accept trustfully the message of Jesus. Neither is easy, because, quite frankly, the Good News tests us. We need to convert because the Good News contains something hidden - God’s Kingdom - present wherever God’s will is being done. Openness to change aligns us with the Kingdom. What Jesus is calling us to is simultaneously comforting and discomforting: comforting inasmuch as we are in alignment with the destiny God has called us to; discomforting inasmuch as we have to change in order to enter into it. To enter the Kingdom we must do so on God’s terms, not ours.
Lord, help us accept trustfully your Good News! David J. Conrad Last week’s readings are all about being called—to baptism, to be a member of Christ, to “come and see.” This week’s readings continue ‘The Call’: to repentance (like in Nineveh), to be guided (Ps. 25, “Teach me your ways, O Lord”), to the Kingdom of God (St. Paul: “Time is running out”), and finally, in the Gospel: to conversion by Jesus— “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of people.”
I feel personally connected to these readings that call us to conversion—especially when I think of my personal experience of “call.” Do these readings remind you of your “Call?” I know that most persons who attend here at St. Aidan experienced Baptism and the other Sacraments as babies, children and very young people. But it seems to me that adults, (although having already experienced these special moments), still hear their own personal call at some point, and their faith becomes more ‘real.’ What do I mean by this? That their actions and lives are put into a different light; put into a different perspective from worldly and secular values; and that an actual conversion takes place and makes changes in how all things are discerned. To experience a conversion is to adapt to different ways and purposes; to be altered in form or substance; a change in beliefs and attitudes. Does this describe your conversion experience? Through my love of music and the work of Music Ministry, I made an adult conversion of faith. (I now personally know that with God, nothing is impossible!) God’s hand in my life truly makes me proclaim: “I sing what I believe, I believe what I sing!” I was changed by my conversion personally, spiritually and even in my career as a musician. Today we hear the story of Jesus’ call, and the response of the Disciples. Our reply is to imitate them and to also follow the Lord: to repent and turn from sin to salvation; to live God’s Kingdom here on earth, to be converted by the Word. Food for thought… Keep singing! Elizabeth Dyc The Church has a custom of blessing homes on the Feast of the Epiphany and the week following. Family and friends gather to ask God’s blessing on their homes and those who live in or visit the home. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows, and a protection against evil.
A traditional way of doing this is to use chalk blessed during the Epiphany Liturgy and write above the entryway of the home: 20 + C + M + B + 24. The letters C, M, B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words: Christus mansionem benedicat, “May Christ bless the house.” The “+” signs represent the Cross, and 2024 is the year. Chalk is used to inscribe the entryway of our homes because it is a product of clay, which recalls the human nature taken by the Word of God in the womb of the Virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Following all the Masses this weekend, obtain your blessed chalk and the prayers of blessing in the atrium. If you eventually need to dispose of your chalk, bury it in the ground, for once it is blessed, it is a sacramental. Let us together bring our Catholic Faith into the daily rhythm of our lives! David J. Conrad Two weeks ago, for the “Sing Praise” article for Christmas, I wrote about what I wanted for Christmas. In the article I mention those things we ask each other for— Material things—all legitimate things—but not necessarily the things of God and heaven. I went on to say that my wishes for Christmas were for those things that come from God: the love for each other, especially when it is difficult, justice for all in this dark world, and the peace of Christ for all. (I have to admit I still wanted a ring I admired…)
This weekend we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord—or rather, our epiphany of His presence. “Rise up in splendor, Jerusalem! Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you.” We hear the familiar story of the star and the Magi—the Three Kings—and how “they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” They offered Him the best they had; their personal, financial treasure, their presence in praise and homage, and their ‘good’ behavior. They did the right thing in not giving Jesus up to Herod—and then they went home another way. What treasures do you offer Jesus? What gifts will you bring Him when you stand before Him? Your hands will be empty of things—but will you be able to offer Him your acts of generosity, your acts of kindness, love and charity, your thoughtful and dedicated praise and thanksgiving? We are all like the Three Magi in that we must have something of value to offer our King. And I would be willing to bet that what He will appreciate the most will be something hard to wrap. Keep singing! Elizabeth Dyc One of the secrets of Catholicism is its preference for the “real,” its love for and elevation of the natural, which it seeks to purify but never to erase. This preference is grounded in the fact that God lowered Himself in order to elevate us. God took to Himself a human nature; in the Person of Jesus we encounter “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). An honest assessment of our human condition reveals that all is not well with us. Damaged as we are by sin, we need saving, so God freely chose to enter into the reality of our woundedness to restore and renew us. Jesus, whose name means “God saves” does just that, a project begun with His birth, which we celebrate this week, and culminated with His Passion, Death and Resurrection.
The Catholic Church, tasked by Jesus with continuing His saving mission, also goes out to meet us in the reality of our condition by proclaiming Jesus and celebrating His sacraments so that we might encounter even in our life here-and-now the very life and love of God. Through a lifetime of perseverance in cooperating with “God with us” our natural condition will be brought to its fulfillment. Thanks to God becoming one of us in the Person of Jesus, we can be who we are meant to be - purified - not erased. David J. Conrad It might seem forced - with all that is going on in the world - to take to heart St. Paul’s advise to the Thessalonians in our second reading this weekend, but take it to heart we must: Rejoice always. This rejoicing isn’t the superficial happiness or ebullience of the world, but the deep-seated joy of the Lord Jesus produced in believers by the Holy Spirit, and can flourish despite trying circumstances and misfortune. It is in Jesus that our quest for happiness is realized, for life in Him is nothing less than participation in the very life of God. By being transformed in Jesus and conformed ever more to Him, we grow into the fullness of life.
This is the happiness for which we are hardwired, and which should guide all of our thoughts and actions in this life. This innate desire for happiness was placed within our hearts in order to draw us to God, who is the source of all good and who alone completely satisfies us. Happiness, then, means not merely subjective contentment, but also real blessedness, the state of possessing what is objectively good for us. It is contentment, but contentment in the true good. To rejoice as we ought, we need to recommit ourselves to Jesus, making His ways our ways; His thoughts our thoughts. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it. All we need do is respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to be Jesus-centered, and come what may, we will, deep within, rejoice in the purest sense and thus be ready for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. David J. Conrad Last Sunday we heard from the Prophet Isaiah: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths… Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth, and all shall see the glory of the Lord.” We prepare the way for the Lord by not having hard hearts, by forgiveness and repentance, so that Christ may be born in us. As we are called to do, we witness Him in all things⎯so that he may also be born in others.
The example of an attitude of readiness and being prepared was given to us in the Gospel reading during the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The Blessed Virgin Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” The Living Liturgy says: “She was a fitting temple to nurture the human life of her divine Son. Like Mary, we, too, bear the Son of God within us…” Mary is the perfect example of Christ ‘born in us’. She is the example of waiting and watching that we, as believers, need to emulate. The Responsorial Psalm this Third Sunday of Advent tells us: “My soul proclaims your greatness O God, and my spirit rejoices in you.” These words from the Psalm/Gospel of St. Luke, the Magnificat, are also in essence, the words of the Prophet Isaiah today. In recognizing the truth of this response, we are more prepared for Christ’s coming: for his birth in our hearts, for our place at the table, for the end of our time on earth. Saint Paul tells us succinctly in his first Letter to the Thessalonians how to prepare: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks…Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil…” This is wonderful advice for us to remember now in this Advent season as we await the celebration of the incarnation of God. This is wonderful advice for always throughout the remainder of our year and our lives! Today is Gaudete Sunday⎯the Sunday of Rejoicing⎯and we are half way to Christmas! In the midst of all the things you are doing, may the blessing of St. Paul from the second reading be yours in this busy season: “May the God of peace make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” May you be the perfect Christmas gift to all who know you. Keep singing! Elizabeth Dyc In this Season of Advent we find ourselves living with a sense of “hurry and wait.” We are to prepare for Christ’s coming, but we tend to live in Advent as if it were Pre-Christmas. I admit that I took advantage during the Thanksgiving break to put in bulbs for spring; and the next day was spent in writing Christmas cards and Christmas decorating! My concession to Advent: no Christmas lights are lit until the 7 days before Christmas. We hurry to prepare for the next season (Christmas), and we live with the dilemma of ‘waiting’ for it to arrive.
Advent is our opportunity to do the work to realize that Christ’s return is really about the “now” in our lives. We know that we are “hurrying” Christ’s coming in Advent (St. Peter); but we would spend our time as Christians more responsibly concerning ourselves with His return at the end of time! In all practicality, we know how difficult it is to prioritize the end of the world with the glamour and glitz of the holy days, forgetting the now of Christ in the every moments of our busy days. We tend to live for the next season, yet do not always live for the next life⎯the eternal one. Today’s readings, like those of last Sunday, are focused on the Second Coming of Christ. In the First Reading (Isaiah) and in the Gospel of St. Mark we are told: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths…the glory of the Lord shall be revealed…” In the Second Reading from the Second Letter of Saint Peter we are told how to wait: “conducting yourselves in holiness and devotion,” and to be “eager to be found without spot or blemish.” This all sounds a lot like the old adage: “Hurry up and wait.” We know we must hasten to prepare a place in our hearts for Jesus. We understand we are to hurry to make straight the way of the Lord, so that He may enter directly into all we say and do. We recognize that we should hurry to do what we must in preparation for the Lord’s return; and then we must wait patiently for the Lord as he waits for us: for our conversion, our commitment, our courage and our caring. The Psalm for today (#85) says that we will hear what God proclaims: peace for his people, salvation and glory, kindness and truth, justice and peace. This is the gift of God in His son, Jesus Christ. This is why we hurry and then we wait. By virtue of our baptism we are like John the Baptist: heralds of this truth. As we live in Advent and prepare for Christmas, we also await the new heavens and the new earth in which righteousness dwells. Keep singing! Elizabeth Dyc Each of the four Sundays of Advent has its own special readings and characteristics: for this First Sunday, the readings look forward to the “End Times” and the coming of the “Day of the Lord;” the Gospel is an excerpt from the Apocalyptic Discourse of Jesus. Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: “Watch” (Mark 13:33-37)! You do not know when the time will come. We will never be able to find out when the end of the world will occur. Its forever outside our knowledge, until its too late to plan for it, when it is upon us already. Hence the importance of the season of Advent, where we benefit from a dry run for the Second Coming of Christ. By preparing to celebrate Christ’s first coming, we’re conditioned/trained to do what is necessary to prepare for His Final Coming at the End of Time. He leaves…his servants in charge, each with his work. The servants are we Christians in our various roles:
Servants could also be the different virtues of a Christian; the gatekeeper stands for the virtue of prudence, which encompasses detachment, sobriety, expectation, and hope. Watch! (Some translations say, “Stay awake!”) St. John Henry Newman’s treatise on the Antichrist offers a compelling explanation of this word, “watch” or phrase, “stay awake:” Such mediations as these may be turned to good account. It will act as a curb upon our self-willed, selfish hearts, to believe that a persecution is in store for the Church, whether or not it comes in our days. Surely, with this prospect before us, we cannot bear to give ourselves up to thoughts of ease and comfort, of making money, settling well, or rising in the world. Surely, with this prospect before us, we cannot but feel that we are…pilgrims, watchers waiting for morning, waiting for the light, eagerly straining our eyes for the dawn of day or looking out for our Lord’s coming, His glorious advent, when He will end the reign of sin and wickedness, accomplish the number of His elect, and perfect those who at present struggle with infirmity, yet in their hearts love and obey Him. An Advent Hymn for Mediation See below for: “Wake, O Wake, and Sleep No Longer.” David J. Conrad Happy New (Liturgical) Year! Advent is the beginning of the new liturgical year in our Church, a change in season as we await the birth of our Lord. We will begin singing all of our new Mass setting and use new musical acclamations. We will light the first candle of the Advent Wreath today; a tiny flame that begins to light up the winter’s longer darkness.
The Sundays of Advent all have distinctive themes according to the Introduction to the Lectionary for Mass. This First Sunday of Advent is about the Lord’s coming at the end of time and being prepared⎯which may also be a paradigm for being prepared for the birth of Christ at the end of Advent. We are told in the Gospel of St. Mark to “Be watchful! Be alert!” We must be ready for God’s kingdom to break into this world; we wait in joy and hope for His coming at Christmas and at the end of time. Everyone is so busy and will be busier as Christmas approaches: shopping, card-writing, parties, cooking, baking and decorating (I do not turn on my Christmas lights until the last few days just before Christmas). The challenge for us is to reflect on Jesus’ birth and second coming—and not be sooo busy that we miss the point of the reason for this Advent season. We need to prepare for Christmas, so we must learn to wait and not be drawn into the secular world of Christmas now. An example of waiting for Christmas is like the bride who waits for her wedding, preparing and expectant, but not showing her dress ahead of time. Looking at Christmas’ coming in this way, we may learn to wait for the actual arrival of Christmas, and then we have a whole ‘season’ to celebrate that arrival! (I am always disturbed with 24-7 Christmas music being played on the radio before Halloween!) The Responsorial Psalm for this First Sunday of Advent is a petition to God to take tender care of us: “Lord make us turn to you and we shall be saved.” And so, we turn to Him, we await Him with hope and joy, we prepare for His coming, and we are saved. Advent is a time to try to listen carefully, to turn to God. St. Paul reminds us today that we will have everything we need (every spiritual gift) while we wait for the Lord. That is a good thing to remember the next time we feel the frenetic need to have Christmas now. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel! We are waiting, alert and awake as we watch for you. Keep singing! Elizabeth Dyc |
AuthorsDavid J. Conrad, M.A. Theology. Our Director of Faith Formation. Archives
March 2024
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St. Aidan Catholic Church
17500 Farmington Rd. Livonia, MI 48152 Phone: 734-425-5950 office@saintaidanlivonia.org Weekend Mass Schedule Saturday Vigil: 5:00 PM Sunday: 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 AM |