Starting the year off right: in prayer

January 1 is a Holy Day, the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God. Masses at St. Andrew the Apostle are at 9:30AM and 11:30AM on Friday, January 1. (Other local parishes may have a vigil mass on the evening of December 31).

January 1 is also the "World Day of Prayer for Peace". May it be so.

The Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Here are the readings for December 27, 2009, the Feast of the Holy Family:

Sirach 3: 2-7, 12-14
Psalm 128: 1-5
Colossians 3: 12-17 (or 3: 12-21)
Luke 2: 41-52
There is no catechetical session this week.

• What examples of holiness have you found in your family?
  

Looking upward, looking inward

While thinking about the 'keystones' the other day, I was reminded of an amazing 900+ year-old Anglican Cathedral in Norwich, England. The ceiling is supported by countless (to me) arches, each decorated with a biblical scene at its center (a 'boss'). Meandering over to their website, I was delighted to find an on-line reflection on the early life of Jesus (from the Annunciation to finding the child Jesus in the temple), each demonstrated in architectural sacred art through their roof bosses.

A note - when I last looked at this site, about half of the meditations were missing their images, but perhaps it will be enhanced in time for your enjoyment during this Christmas season.  Please click here for the Norwich Cathedral (England) meditation, no passport required!

The Nativity of the Lord

God of every nation and people, from the beginning of creation you have made manifest your love: when our need for a Savior was great your sent your Son to be born of the Virgin Mary.
To our lives he brings joy and peace, justice, mercy and love.

(from the "Prayer of Blessing of the Christmas Manger or Nativity Scene", taken from the Book of Blessings #1541-1569)

December 23: O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver,

desire of the nations, Savior of all people:

Come and set us free, Lord our God.

Isaiah 7: 14
Matthew 1: 23
1 Timothy 4: 9

A 'mighty wind', the breath or Spirit of God swept over the waters
at the creation of the earth. (Gen 1:1)
Women are coached in their breathing as they labor to give birth.
You may be feeling out of breath from the last minute baking, housecleaning and gift-wrapping that leads up to the Christmas celebration... if so, please take a minute, and just breathe.

That breath is a gift to you from God. So is the next one.
And so on... you are being re-created throughout your life by
every breath that God gives you.
There's a certain freedom in knowing that at each moment,
we can make a choice to break old patterns, establish new ones,
repair a relationship, or nurture a new one.
Our past may form us, but it does not bind us.

"Emmanuel" means "God is with us".
The Deity is no longer an abstract concept out there in the ether,
but a living, breathing baby who grew to know and understand our
every need, desire, hope and fear. 
God is with us!
May that assurance leave you breathless!

(Still.... keep breathing.)

December 22: O Rex Gentium, O King of all the nations

O King of all the nations, 
the only joy of every human heart;

O Keystone of the mighty arch of man:

Come and save the creature 
you fashioned from the dust.

Isaiah 2: 4, 11: 10
Psalm 47: 8 ; Jeremiah 10: 7

Daniel 7: 14 ; Haggai 2: 8
Romans 15: 12
Ephesians 2: 14, 20

Mural from Christ the King Mission in Kings Mountain, NC

The word 'catholic' means universal... and Catholic Christianity is not to be confined by any boundaries of nation or race, status or language.  Jesus came to save all people by showing us the way to live that brings peace. The "king of all nations" chose to rule through humble service.
He gives us a law of love that leads to freedom, not slavish obedience.
Out of love we were created; love is the keystone of our being.
God, who is Love, leads us from selfishness and distrust of the 'other' to the joy of an awareness of the shared redemption of all creation.

• Do you believe in God's love for you?
• How does this rule of love guide your life?
  

December 21: O Oriens, O Radiant Dawn

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, 
sun of justice:

Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death.

Isaiah 9: 1, 58: 8, 60: 18-20
Malachi 4: 2
Luke 1: 78-79
John 8: 12

Today we praise Jesus the Son of God as our Sun of Justice. The sun and its light and warmth is a powerful image that has resonated with people over the millennia. Today is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, the Winter Solstice, marked by ancient agrarian cultures as a time of new birth - the moment when the sun begins again to overcome the darkness.

• In the dark corners of your life, what fears and life-sapping forces cry out for transformation through the power of God's illumination?
• How can you be a source of 'warmth' or 'light' for someone else today?
  

December 20: O Clavis David, O Key of David

O Key of David, o royal Power of Israel,

controlling at your will the gate of heaven:

Come, break down the prison walls of death

for those who dwell in darkness 
and the shadow of death;

and lead your captive people into freedom.

Revelation 3: 7

Isaiah 22: 22

Jeremiah 13: 13, 51: 19

Matthew 4: 16, 16: 19

Luke 1: 79

...How much time has been wasted in the futile search for keys, how many hours poured into rearranging schedules when they go missing?

Knowing how crucial the key can be helps us appreciate how, of all the antiphons, this one is most clearly realized in Jesus. For many people, he was key to liberation, but one example will suffice: a story told in Luke 13:10-17. To a woman who had been bent double for 18 years, Jesus called, "You are free of your infirmity!" As her spine straightened, she praised God. And those who were listening carefully might have heard a key clink in a rusty lock.

She is not unique. Over and over, Jesus calls people to freedom and friendship. ...
 (by Kathy Coffey in the December 1999 Catholic Update "O Come, O Come Emmanuel")

December 19: O Radix Jesse, O Flower of Jesse's Stem

O Flower of Jesse's stem,

you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples;

kings stand silent in your presence;

the nations bow down in worship before you.

Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

Isaiah 11: 1,10

Isaiah 52: 15

Romans 15: 12

The Tree of Jesse, representing the ancestry of Jesus Christ. 

Ivory panel from Bamberg (?), Bavaria, ca. 1200. Location: Louvre Museum, Paris

• New life can come from the most unlikely places: a flower from a sidewalk crack, a tree from a seemingly dead stump. Our faith celebrates this extravagant fecundity of God, our Creator... the one who chose to become human in most humble circumstances, and who brought us eternal life through Jesus' death - and resurrection.
• Is there anyone you easily dismiss because of some aspect of their background? In what way might they actually be a source of inspiration for you?
• Are there areas of your life in need of new growth? If so, offer your needs to the One who brings hope and life when all seems lost.
  

December 18: O Adonai, O Lord

O Sacred Lord of Ancient Israel,

who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,

who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:

Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

Exodus 3:2

Isaiah 33:22, 63: 11-12

Micah 6:4

Acts 7:30-31

Moses Before the Burning Bush, bas relief plaque by Scott Sullivan, 2004.

• Consider this: our all-powerful God, the one who created everything that exists, is not a remote and indifferent Being. Throughout history,  God's love and concern for us has been communicated through signs and prophets, powerful works and common-sense commandments, aiming to free us from the slavery of sin.
• Offer a prayer for where God's power is most needed in your life/family/community/world.
  

December 17: O Sapientia, O Wisdom

O Wisdom, O holy Word of God,
you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care:
Come and show your people the way to salvation.

Wisdom 8:1

Isaiah 11:2-3; 28:29

Proverbs 8:1-36

John 1:1-5

 "Wisdom" mural by Robert Lewis Reid. Second Floor, North Corridor.
Library of Congress Thomas Jefferson Building, Washington, D.C.

• Are there decisions in your life for which you need guidance? 
• How does your knowledge of Jesus' words and life impact the choices you make each day?
  

The O Antiphons

As we reach the latter part of Advent, we encounter seven traditional and ancient antiphons (responses) in the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. You may recall that in Jewish practice the day begins at sundown, so praying these antiphons during the vespers of December 17-23 takes us to the beginning of Christmas Eve. Each of these prayers is a plea for Jesus' coming, addressing him by an ancient Scriptural name, and petitioning for a particular act of salvation from him.

Here's an interesting bit of information, found at catholic-resources.org:

In the traditional arrangement, when viewed from Christmas Eve backward, the first letters of the Latin texts (Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia) spell out the phrase ero cras ("I come tomorrow").

Please come back each day this week, as we bring our Advent preparation to its joyful conclusion!

December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Here is another opportunity to celebrate the mother of Jesus, by celebrating her under the title "Our Lady of Guadalupe", patroness of the Americas. For a summary of the story, please click here.

The story of her apparition to St. Juan Diego emphasizes the importance of evangelizing with respect for the inherent dignity of the culture or people being approached.

Across North Carolina, as in Mexico and Central and South American countries, this feast is celebrated with fervor, devotion and joy. All night vigils, early morning singing (mañanitas) and pre-dawn mass often end with parades and fiestas, celebrating God's love and care for people of every culture, of every language, in every time.

Third Sunday of Advent

Here are the readings for December 13, 2009, the Third Sunday of Advent (cycle C).

Zephaniah 3: 14-18
Isaiah 12: 2-6
Philippians 4: 4-7
Luke 3: 10-18

The theme for this Sunday's catechetical session is "Moral Conversion". You'll notice that the pink candle in the Advent wreath is lit today, and the traditional name of this Sunday is "Gaudete Sunday" (Latin, meaning 'rejoice'). There's a wisdom in this 'break' from the more quiet waiting of the rest of Advent... it's a way of encouraging us to keep at it, of remembering that what we're waiting for is a very good thing, something to celebrate!

• The first two readings exhort us to 'sing joyfully' and 'rejoice always'.... for what are you joyful today?
  
• In what way do John the Baptist's words in this Gospel prepare the way for Jesus' teachings?
  
• Where do you find hope for your faith journey in these readings?

December 8- Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

December 8 is one of those days we refer to as "Holy Days of Obligations", special observances throughout the year when Roman Catholics have a duty to celebrate mass. This feast, of the "Immaculate Conception", is one of the most misunderstood of our Holy Days - many Catholics think it refers to the conception of Jesus. It does not. (Conveniently, the observance of Jesus' conception is celebrated exactly 9 months before Christmas, on March 25: the "Annunciation")  It does nothing to lessen the confusion that the Gospel read on December 8th is Luke's recounting of the Annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary!

I can think of three good reasons to use this Gospel:
1) Mary's role as the mother of Jesus, which she embraced at the Annunciation, was an acceptance that required all the strength and grace a human could muster ... a gift God gave Mary at her own conception to keep her from sin ('full of grace') throughout her life.
2) From the 'it is fitting' school of thought - if God was to become human, God would deserve nothing but the best (e.g., would you really want to drink fine wine from paper cups?!), and to use old terminology, the 'stainless vessel' of Mary, sinless from the first instant of her life, was the most fitting means of the Incarnation.
3) Compare the Gospel with the first reading - a Genesis version of sin entering the world through Eve (AND Adam) succumbing to the temptation of the serpent. Through previously sinless Eve sin entered the world, and through the miraculously sinless Mary, the 'new Eve', the means of salvation from sin was born into our world.
oh, and 4) not so good a reason, but a practical one: there really is no Scriptural evidence for the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception beyond the angel's brief reference to Mary as "full of grace", and her cousin Elizabeth's later greeting her as "blessed among women".

This doctrine emerged gradually over the course of over a dozen centuries, culminating in a definitive declaration in 1854 by Pope Pius IX. Her feast was first celebrated in the late 7th century in the Byzantine (Eastern) church, and spread in popular devotion among the faithful, but it was still a theological difficulty in the Western (Roman) church. "The great scholastics of the thirteenth century were unable to reconcile Mary's Immaculate Conception with the universal need for salvation by Christ. Finally, John Duns Scotus (1266-1308) was chiefly responsible for introducing the notion of 'preservative' redemption into the explicit consciousness of the church..." (The New Dictionary of Theology, The Liturgical Press)

But let's put this a bit more simply: every time we honor Mary, what we say about her is both a reflection of what we believe about Jesus, and what we hope for or anticipate for ourselves. So in this case, we celebrate the redemptive power of God through Jesus Christ to save us from the power of sin, enabling Mary physically and us spiritually to freely say 'yes' to God's invitation to carry Jesus in our lives.

Mary, the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States (and three parishes in the Diocese of Raleigh, in Clinton, Durham and Wilmington). Masses for the Holy Day will be celebrated at St. Andrew on Tuesday Dec 8 at 6:30 and 9:00 AM and 7:30 PM.

Nicholas and Lucy - Saints for the Season

Today, the process for canonization is a long and careful one.  Not so for the first thousand years of Christianity, when an individual's saintliness was popularly acclaimed after their life, and the legends and stories that arose make it difficult to discern the truth from the Truth! (what literally happened vs. what point they're trying to get across)

Two popular early saints around whom legends abound are celebrated in some cultures with special customs that are particularly fitting at this time of the year:

December 6: St. Nicholas (died c. 350)
St. Nicholas was a bishop in Asia Minor in the city of Myra in the 4th Century. We know he was present at the Council of Nicaea and vehemently opposed the heresy of Arius. And that prior to Constantine's ascendancy, he was imprisoned under the Diocletian persecutions. As Bishop, he was a well-loved and generous.

One story demonstrates his generosity and concern for the well-being of his people. A man with three daughters could not afford their dowries and was planning to sell them into prostitution (or slavery). Three times, Nicholas would throw a bag of coins through the family's window at night, anonymously providing the means for the daughters to marry. Another story is of sailors caught in a deadly storm who prayed for Nicholas' help. The Bishop was at the time attending the Council, but they saw a figure who looked like him who immediately calmed the tempest. Symbols from both of these tales are demonstrated in this painting by Tintoretto.

The Dutch, German and people in other northern countries celebrate St. Nicholas day by giving presents to children. Leaving a shoe out on the night of Dec 5 along with a note for St. Nicholas to deliver to the baby Jesus, boys and girls might wake up to find gold foil-wrapped chocolate coins, fruit or small toys - and hopefully not coal left by the Saint! (Sounds like "Santa Claus", doesn't it? Credit the arrival of the Dutch in NY, and the adaptation of old traditions in a new world)
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of  Bakers, Brewers, Brides, Children, Greece, Grooms, Merchants, Pawnbrokers, Russia, and Travelers

December 13: St. Lucy (died 304)
St. Lucy (Santa Lucia... know the song?) was born in Sicily, a pagan area, and was martyred in the Diocletian persecution. The legend is that her Christian faith led her to make a vow of virginity, but the pagan man to whom she was engaged was very displeased and reported her faith to the authorities. Tales report an abundant variety of tortures followed, from having her eye gouged out (but then her sight was miraculously restored), to burning her with fire (which kept going out), and finally stabbing her in the throat.

"Lucy", or "Lucia" means light, and her feast appropriately comes at the darkest time of the year. Before the current calendar was fixed, her feast day fell on the Winter Solstice, and the promise of light anticipates the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World. She is especially honored in northern countries which are especially dark and cold in December. In paintings she is usually represented carrying a pair of eyes on a plate or, as in this painting, sprouting like flowers on a stem!
Painting of St. Lucy by Francesco del Cossa

Here are some customs, courtesy of www.fisheaters.com (standard disclaimer: linking to a site does not imply endorsement of everything on that site)

 In Italy, torchlight processions and bonfires mark her day, and bowls of a cooked wheat porridge known as cuccia is eaten because, during a famine, the people of Syracuse invoked St. Lucy, who interceded by sending a ship laden with grain (much as St. Joseph also did for the people of Sicily).

Some of the loveliest St. Lucy's Day customs are Swedish: in Sweden, the oldest daughter of a family will wake up before dawn on St. Lucy's Day and dress in a white gown for purity, often with a red sash as a sign of martyrdom. On her head she will wear a wreath of greenery and lit candles, and she is often accompanied by "starboys," her small brothers who are dressed in white gowns and cone-shaped hats that are decorated with gold stars, and carrying star-tipped wands. "St. Lucy" will go around her house and wake up her family to serve them special St. Lucy Day foods, such as saffron buns and Lussekatter (St. Lucy's Cats), shaped into X's, figure-8s, S-shapes, or crowns.

And finally for you star-gazers, right around St. Lucy's feast are the Geminid meteor showers, which are sometimes called "St. Lucy's Light". She is the patron saint of the blind and those with eye disorders.

Second Sunday of Advent

Here are the readings for December 6, 2009, the Second Sunday of Advent (cycle C).

Baruch 5: 1-9
Psalm 126: 1-6
Philippians 1: 4-6, 8-11
Luke 3: 1-6

The theme for this Sunday's catechetical session is "Hope for Salvation".

• Why do you think Luke gave so many details about time and place in this passage?
  
• How can you 'prepare the way for the Lord' in your own life?
• Where do you find hope for your faith journey in these readings?
  

Today in Scripture

Isaiah 25:6-10a
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples
A feast of rich food and choice wines,
     juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy the veil
     that veils all peoples,
The web that is woven over all nations;
     he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears
     from all faces;
The reproach of his people he will remove
     from the whole earth;
     for the Lord has spoken.

On that day it will be said:
     “Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
     let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!”
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

There are so many vivid images in this passage! After last week's Thanksgiving holiday, many (although not all) of us can appreciate the delights of a feast of extra-special food and drink.  Isaiah chooses this imagery to highlight the promised state of contentment (in abundance!) and peace that will accompany God's ultimate victory over sin, division and death. You know, Jesus also talks a lot about the Kingdom of God in terms of a banquet (and we often find him sharing food with others in the Gospels), and we speak of the Liturgy of the Eucharist (Mass) as a 'foretaste of the heavenly banquet' .... it all sounds good to me!

There is another image here that has started me thinking... 'the web that is woven over all nations'.  Of course, Isaiah was writing long before the birth of the Internet, the "World Wide Web", which for all its hazards can make vital and positive connections between people and nations across the globe. I'm thinking more about the spiders that live in my yard and sometimes start their webs across my front steps, or stretch to my car's antenna... so that I walk face-first into that invisible stickiness. And then spend the next half-hour wiping at my face and hoping the spider itself is not hiding on me! For the next several days I walk cautiously in that area, never at ease, always suspicious.
This Scripture passage makes me ponder the current reality of our world - well truly, the reality of our world since Isaiah's time. It seems we as nations can't help but get tangled up in a struggle for land and security, for resources and dominance. Just as there is a natural beauty in the patterns of a spider's web that leads to deadly consequences for unsuspecting insects, humanity has a natural inclination to isolate ourselves from the 'other', putting on the veils that obscure our vision, leading to mistrust, misunderstanding, and perhaps violence and death.

That's not the way of God's world, Isaiah tells us, and Jesus shows us. Maybe it takes a focused awareness to clear away the cobwebs, to lift the veil....  Consider these words of Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily last Saturday for the First Vespers of Advent:

Advent, this intense liturgical time that we are beginning, invites us to pause in silence to grasp a presence. It is an invitation to understand that every event of the day is a gesture that God directs to us, sign of the care he has for each one of us. How many times God makes us perceive something of his love! ... Advent invites and stimulates us to contemplate the Lord who is present. Should not the certainty of his presence help us to see the world with different eyes? Should it not help us to see our whole existence as a "visit," as a way in which he can come to us and be close to us, in each situation?