Advent: A Season of Spiritual Reset

Homily for the First Sunday of Advent

12.1.2024

I bet that there are probably very few among us, at any age, who do not have a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or whatever device we use in ordinary life. And I also bet that, at some point, we have utilized the “reset” function. This function sets the device back to its original state, of course. Additionally, we can also use it to give our devices a fresh start, without all the digital junk and clutter we’ve accumulated over the years.

The full reset remains a useful troubleshooting tool not only if we’re having problems with a gadget, but it’s also an essential step to take before we sell or recycle a device. With cloud syncing and media streaming now the norm, you’ll agree that getting everything back up and running is easier than it’s ever been.

In so many ways, that’s what Advent allows for our spiritual lives—it gives us the opportunity to “reset,” to get a fresh start, and to remove all the junk and baggage that we’ve accumulated this year. It’s essential if we want to fully experience the true joy of Christmas. But how?

Each year, it seems that Advent sneaks up on us—especially because we live in an automated and rushed age. To be intentional this Advent and reset our spiritual lives, God isn’t necessarily calling us to make lofty commitments consisting of grand gestures like monastic-level prayer or giving away everything we own.

God’s heart supports sustainable rhythms for us, and He desires to enter into our everyday life in gentle ways—just like how He came into the world: no fanfare, no elaborate process, just gentle intentionality.

It seems to me that it’s the little ways we can align our lives to God and build small moments of daily conversion into our busy schedules.

Just as in Lent, in Advent, the Church encourages prayer, fasting, and almsgiving throughout this season. Here are a few simple and easy ways to enter into the powerful and prayerful season of Advent:

1. Pray with an Advent devotional. It is easy for the Christmas story to feel far away from our lives—like a fairy tale that starts with, “Once upon a time in a faraway land.” By using a guided Advent journal or program, we can be guided with meditations and prayers that will provide a manageable portion to pray through each day. There are plenty of sample devotionals on the internet.

   
   

2. Pray one chapter of the Gospel of Luke each day. To prepare for Christmas, we can read one chapter of the Gospel of Luke each day through December 24th. There are 24 chapters in Luke, and by Christmas Eve, we will have read the entire account of the birth, ministry, sacrifice on the cross, and resurrection of Jesus.

   
   

3. Use Christmas cards as prayer reminders. As Christmas cards arrive during December, place them in a basket in a noticeable area of your home. Once a day, pull out one card and pray for that person or family. You can also write the person a note signed by your family or send them a text that says, “We prayed for you today as we prepare for Christmas.” Remember those people when you come to Advent and Christmas Mass, too.

   
   

4. Fast. In our society, it is very difficult to fast from all treats during Advent, since anticipatory Christmas goodies are served everywhere you go—I’m living proof of it! The most effective fasting during this season might be to fast from noise, franticness, and media. As we try to cut back on news, sports, entertainment, politics, frantic errands, and other avoidable distractions, we can open up more space in our schedules for prayer and reflection.

   
   

5. Visit the lonely. Mother Teresa said, “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” Reach out to someone who is lonely in your neighborhood, church, or extended family. Ask them to coffee, invite them for dinner, drop off some cookies, or have a phone conversation. Ask them questions about their lives. This type of simple connection is a tremendously powerful way to see Jesus in another person and help them realize the dignity within themselves.

   
   

6. Make a good confession—don’t wait until the last minute! The sacrament of confession reunites us with the God who made us. How generously Our Lord lavishes us with grace in the sacrament of reconciliation! He calls us back to Himself, gives us a fresh slate, washes us clean, and resets us.

   
   

Friends, no doubt we spend a lot of time in our lives ensuring that our devices work optimally, are up to date, and are free from viruses. Advent gives us the same opportunity to do so for our souls.

Blessings!

RSM

What Treasures Do We Hold On To?

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October 13, 2024

Several years ago, construction workers were laying a foundation for a building outside the city of Pompeii. They found the corpse of a woman who must have been fleeing from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius but was caught in the rain of hot ashes. The woman's hands clutched jewels, which were preserved in excellent condition. She had the jewels, but death had stolen it all.

The story begs the question, what are the worldly treasures that we hold on to? The familiar story of the rich young man, from the Gospel of Mark, gives us Jesus’ take on the matter, but admittedly, it’s a pretty tough message.

I wanted to talk this morning with you, and at all the masses this weekend, to raise that very issue, what are the treasures that we hold on to … and I’m not talking about the material possessions we have, but the treasure of the Church, of our Church … and of this parish, in particular.  How do we hold on to it? Care for it? Support it? And prepare it to be passed on to future generations?

I know that the more cynical or astute among us are already thinking, oh boy, here he goes, he’s going to talk about money … and you’re right, I am, because this Sunday the Gospel opens that door. (And every week, if you’re keeping score, I preach on the topic from which the Scriptures opens the door … and today is no different.)

I am also well aware that some people think preachers shouldn’t talk about money ever.  But believe it or not, it was often this very thing that kept many from Christ! Look at Jesus.  So often we think He spent all His time talking about deep spiritual theology but look what occupied His subject matter the most.

Actually, Jesus talked a lot about money.

·      16 of 38 parables were concerned with how to handle money and possessions.

·      In the Gospels, an amazing 1out of 10 verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money.

·      The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 verses on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions.

I’m guessing that maybe people don't like the preacher to talk about money because it hits too close to home! It is certain that Jesus found the same reaction in His day! 

I’d like to put my words in the context of answering the question from our initial story, what are the treasures we hold on to, treasures that will outlast our own death.  I hope that among them is the treasure of our Catholic faith, of our Catholic Church, and of our parish, so that we can pass it on, in good shape, to the next generations.

I believe that our 2023-2024 Annual Report is in the mail, and you should receive it this coming week.  When they arrive, there will also be extra copies in the back of the Church.  That report is really our local version of good news … it contains the facts, figures and photos that reflect our response as a parish this year to the Gospel of Jesus.  It is good news, but honestly, it is not great news … and it could be.

You decide for yourself good or great … how many people live here in Summit (and beyond) that claim St Teresa’s as their parish? … and then ask, how many actually, regularly, and generously support the parish?

I don’t know the first number, but the second is only about 300 … yes, 300 for the most part are carrying the financial burden of this parish!  Further, by all measures, some, but not many, serve in our ministries.  I’m not a statistician, but with odds like that, there is no doubt that our long-term sustainability is not great, it’s only good.  We can do so much better!

This Gospel comes on the heels of the news that Cardinal Tobin is about to appoint some lay, religious and clergy groups to study our parishes and other ministries to help guide him in deciding where the Church should be as we go forward.  And while the Cardinal has made very clear that the bottom line will not be the deciding factor, you’d better believe that it will surely be an important component. How could it not be?

Cardinal Tobin has named the work We Are His Witnesses.  I guess I would ask the question, are we?  If so, how are we his witnesses in our world, in our community, in our parish today?  What’s the role we play? … how do we share our time, our talent and our treasure to pass on what we have received to future generations?  I cannot answer that for you, but only for myself.

Since my arrival here on October 15, 2017, our patronal feast day, I have worked with the help of many in order to protect and preserve our parish for many years to come.  As you can imagine, doing so has made some people over the years disagree with my decisions and my plan, forcing some even to leave.  While I am truly saddened by that, I understand.  People vote with their wallets and their feet these days!

But for those of you who have stayed, and have encouraged and helped me, thank you! You know that everything that happens here is not decided alone by me.  I am blessed with the advice and guidance of parish trustees, a parish finance council and several small working groups that give of their time and expertise to help guide me in pastoring this great parish ministry named St Teresa’s.  And while our task is not easy and is oftentimes complicated, we do our best in order first understand the metrics and the needs we have today because we cannot live in the past.

As I have been sharing in the bulletin, Cardinal Tobin has mandated that all parishes have a parish pastoral council.  I have already invited some to join me in this endeavor, and soon, we will ask you to consider that as well.  This is your parish … not mine, and certainly not the staff’s.  The future of St Teresa’s depends on you, its active and supporting parishioners … but it’s future also depends as a consequence of so many who do not come, or help, yet claim that this is their parish too!

We cannot do things as we always have, or we will not survive.  We must take an honest look at our strengths and weaknesses, our opportunities and threats and plan accordingly so that we can successfully pass this beautiful treasure on to the next generation.  Will you help me?

Let’s look again at the Gospel.  Beyond the fact that the rich man really has too much, there’s another part to the rich man’s problem. He knows only to ask about safeguarding his eternal life without concern for that of others. What must I do, he asks. He is unable to see that the potential to experience eternal life might very well lie outside of his own doing. He is incapable of recognizing that abundance may very well be found outside of the wealth and riches he has stored up. Let’s not make the same mistake.  While our parish is fine today, without a clear and realistic strategic plan it will not survive as it is for the future.

You are the members of this blessed community of the faithful.  I hope that hearing the truth about our true status will encourage you to tell our story to others.  And while there are many reasons that people will not welcome the message, we need to do our part to share it.  St Francis of Assisi said:

Remember when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received, only what you have given:  a heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.

Together, let’s embrace those words, and act accordingly … for today and our future. 

Blessings!

Fr Bob

Who Are You?

Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 29, 2024

Really … Let’s take a moment to ponder that question…and then ask ourselves how we came to that answer. Do we define ourselves by our accomplishments, or our history, our title, or particular critical experiences, or our relationships, or some combination of the above?

Another way to get at this question might be to ask, who gets to tell us who we are? Who has the most influence in shaping our self-image? Is it our parents, our partner or spouse, our friends and colleagues, our profession? Or perhaps it’s the world, particularly the world of advertising, which constantly tries to overwhelm us with ads picturing perfect people leading perfect lives all designed to tell us who we are, or at least who we should be. Or maybe it’s the news media, eager to make us anxious with a constant barrage of worrisome

headlines.

I ask these questions because I think the Gospel passage today is very much

about identity, though perhaps not immediately evident. At first glance the passage appears to be about Jesus admonishing his disciples to lighten up, to stop worrying about others who are following him (but not, apparently, to the disciples’ satisfaction) and instead focus on what matters or, perhaps even more, on avoiding those things that can cause one to stumble and stray from Jesus.

Scholars tell us that this section reflects some of the conflicts between early

Christian communities. Mark is framing this part of his narrative to address some of the problems his folks are having with other Christians. Apparently, the early Christian church wasn’t all united in their beliefs, sometimes they clashed with each other, and occasionally even berated one another over differences in practice.

In other words, Mark was trying to help his congregation answer the question of who they are. Will they define themselves over and against other Christians or will they discover their own identity in their personal and collective attempt to follow Jesus, to care for the vulnerable, and to avoid those things that are destructive to self, neighbor, and community? Which brings me back to the question of identity. Note the tone and tenor

struck by the disciples’ statement:

Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.

More complaint than observation, and perhaps even more accusation than complaint, the disciples want Jesus to affirm their judgment and action against this other follower because he was not playing by their rules or following their lead. In other words, the disciples seem to have decided who they are and have defined themselves over and against this other person.

· They are the leaders of the fledgling Jesus movement.

· They are more important than others doing works in Jesus’ name.

· They are the inner circle who should be obeyed by lesser disciples.

What’s striking, of course, is that all this happens almost immediately after Jesus chided their earlier arguments about which of them was the greatest. It seems that all Jesus’ admonishment did was to encourage them to give up vying amongst themselves so that they could vie together against everyone else!

This is probably because this identity question can be really, really hard to answer. We don’t come into this world knowing who we are, where we’ve come from, or even where we’re going.

So, the real question today for us to think about is, are we like the disciples, or are we like Jesus? In other words, are we more concerned about what others are doing, or not doing, in their attempt to follow Jesus, or are we working on our own spiritual life?

The passage from James gives us some insights into how we can better our spiritual selves, but that process is directly connected to our temporal selves. James takes time to denounce the exploiting activities of the rich. He is not denouncing wealth as such, rather he is attacking wealth obtained by corruption. He attacks ill-gotten gains and the motivations that drive us to these ends. The passage again exposes unrighteous behavior, behavior which is the product of a "useless" faith. It’s not what we’re about.

I read yesterday the article entitled 6 N.J. cities rank on national list of top 30 safest and richest cities and Summit ranks 13. As Catholic Christians, is that how we want to be identified? Certainly, there’s plenty of encouragement from the culture to do just that. We are encouraged relentlessly to define ourselves through our accomplishments or, even more often, through our possessions. The moment we venture down this road, however, I believe that we’re doomed to a sense of scarcity where there is never “enough” – accomplishments, honor, possessions, money, youth, whatever commodity we’ve decided is our measure – and each and every other person around us therefore becomes a competitor. And before long like those ancient disciples, we’re trying to tell

other people what to do and judging them for not conforming to our expectations.

When Jesus sees this happen with his disciples, he responds by inviting them,

to entertain the peculiar logic of God’s kingdom where the weak and vulnerable

are to be honored and where glory comes through service. This week, he reiterates his counsel that mercy and love must be the vehicles through which we discover and express our identity. And one of the great things about service, love, and mercy is that we never run out of them. There is no scarcity of opportunity to care for others, no lack of occasions to love our neighbor.

Who are you? Who am I?

Christians have from the beginning of our story struggled with this question, so it is not surprising that we struggle with it still. But as we wrestle with it, perhaps try to better understand that identity finally isn’t something we can attain, but only receive as a gift. And one of the primary reasons Jesus came was to tell us that we are beloved, holy, precious, and honored in God’s eye so that we might also hear ourselves called to lives of love, mercy, compassion, and service.

In a few minutes we will baptize these two beautiful children. What examples

will we give to them about how to follow Jesus? They’re watching … and so is God! RSM