Epiphany! You Are Invited to the Feast of All Nations!

Sermon by Fr. Joseph Mungai

The Epiphany of the Lord, Jan 8, 2017

Immaculate Heart Mary and Christ the King  Catholic Parishes, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.A.

"Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do Him homage." (The Magi inquired of King Herod, Matt 2:2)

One day a young man sought a holy monk in Egypt, who happened to be quite muscular and burly. The young man asked: "Oh, holy man, I want to know how to find God." 

The monk replied, "Do you really want to find God?" The young man answered: "Yes, I do." So the monk took the young man down to the river. Suddenly, the monk grabbed the young man by the neck and held his head under water. At first the young man thought the monk was giving him a special baptism. But  after one minute, the monk didn’t let go and the young man began struggling. Second by second, the young man fought harder and harder. After three minutes, the monk pulled the young man out of the water and said: "When you desire God as much as you desired air, you will have the Epiphany of God"

Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Epiphany -- a Greek word meaning "appearance or manifestation." We celebrate today the manifestation of Our Lord to the

whole world. After He was made known to the shepherds keeping watch outside Bethlehem, he is now revealed to the Magi, who have come from the East to adore Him. 

Epiphany is the Feast of all Nations because on this day we celebrate the manifestation of

Christ, the true Light of all nations, calling us

to become more and more filled with His Light, to clothe our  communities with the universality of this Light and to labour to bring the Light to those living in darkness.

In age of electricity and artificial lights, it is difficult for us to appreciate the symbolism of light; but the truth is that Christ as Light is the fullest expression of God's work in the world.

Therefore "Arise, shine!" cries out Isaiah, "for your light has come and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." We Gentiles thank God that

today we are being invited to God's Kingdom, his Church, which is our means to reach heaven. 

Unlike the people of the Old Testament, let us not forget how God is so good to us. Let us not provoke Him, so we end up in exile as slaves to pagans. Whatever challenges you and I may go through in life let them not cause us to be unfaithful to God. We do not want to be excluded from our true home -- where "the glory of the Lord will shine" forever.

The Epiphany is a festival of light, for on this

day we celebrate the manifestation of Jesus Christ in the darkness of the world calling all humankind to come and bathe in His Light. 

At the birth of Jesus, three wise men from the East, guided by a star came to worship him. It is a custom to picture them as black, white and brown; thus they represent all the people of the earth, particularly the Gentiles. Hence, "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Eph 3:6)

This makes us to rejoice for we appreciate the gift of true faith. This gift means that we know where we came from, we know where we are going and we are certain that that is a wonderful eternal place.  Holding onto our faith and following the right path, we also know the Way there. We may have to climb some hills that look as steep as Calvary, but after Calvary comes the Mount of the Ascension. Yes Epiphany is the feast of all Nations.

The Magi are the central personages in today's feast. They were pagans who did not know the true God of the Jews. Yet  God revealed to them that the promised King of the Israel had come.

They came to Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, expecting to find the whole country rejoicing. Instead they found suspicion and hatred in the reigning king -- a hatred which in a few days turned to murder. 

Among the religious leaders they found knowledge of their past history. These leaders knew that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. They recognised that the Magi were very sure  the foretold Messiah had come.  In spite of all that, the thought of going to Bethlehem with the Magi never occurred to them. We too know the true facts concerning Christ, His mission and His present and future kingdom. Like the leaders of the Jews of his day, we also can become absorbed in the affairs of the world -- the quest for wealth, pleasure and power. We can become so totally absorbed in worldly affairs that we have no time to welcome Christ into our homes and hearts as Our True Lord.

We are baptised so we have the entire Light of Christ, but too often we think that is enough. The strange thing about Jesus is that

you can never get away from Him, but also you can never get enough of Him. 

Jesus Christ is  everything man needs. Therefore until God meets all our deepest needs, our quest for more and more of Jesus must go on. Meet Jesus daily. We need not look towards the stars to encounter Him. He is being born every day in our lives. He comes anew to us in every suffering we face, in every hand stretched out to us for help.

The Lord comes to us in the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist. He comes in the community of believers -- the universality of Christ. Hence it has to be a community that welcomes all peoples and races, that provides equality for all, especially the "little ones."

The more we Christians receive the Light of Christ, the more we want to give it to others.

People may appear to be seeking fame, fortune, exitement, but what they actually want is human fulfilment. Their search is for what is supreme and beautiful -- Jesus Christ. 

So we Christians have a  a lot of work to do. After Christmas there are already signs on the streets that work has resumed, sales have started, and schools have re-opened. The "back to work" motif is noticeable. 

Today's feast also calls us to bring Christ to all nations. "When the song of the angels is stilled, when the star in the sky is gone, when the kings and princes are home, when the shepherds are back with the flock, the work of Christmas begins: to find the lost, to heal the broken, to feed the hungry, to build the nations and to make music in the heart." (Anonymous)  God bless you all.

Today's Readings:  Is 60:1-6, Eph 3: 2-3, 5-6, Matt 2: 1-12

Consider That When the Word Became Flesh

God was an Embryo

by Lawrence Fox

Good News! St. Luke the evangelist captures an exchange between two women and their unborn children brought together by divine providence. The words shared between them will be known by generations to come as the Good News. For three months, “in the hill country of Judea” (Lk. 1:39) in the house of Zechariah, the joy of motherhood is celebrated in the fulfillment of promises made by the Lord God of Israel to His people.

The two children in the womb also join their mothers’ conversation; they even instigate aspects of it. The one child — John, six months old —  is filled with the Holy Spirit. He leaps for joy in his mother’s womb. The other child — Jesus, both divine and several days old — is the Word of God which sustains all things and for whom all things exist. Their mothers do not hear the exchange between their children, but they do experience it.

The older woman is Elizabeth, which means in Hebrew “my God is an oath.” The origins and existence of her people are the result of many oaths (covenants) and promises made between the Lord God and her ancestors. She knows through the writings of the prophet Jeremiah that the Lord God plans to establish a new covenant with her people,"'The day is coming,' says the LORD, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.'” (Jer. 31:31) Elizabeth is aware her pregnancy is an integral part of that promise.

Elizabeth is a daughter of Aaron, the priest and brother of the prophet Moses — who wanted God to let him see His face. God told Moses, “'You cannot see My face, for no man can 

see Me and live!' Then the LORD said, 'While My glory is passing by I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.'” (Ex. 33:21) What was once forbidden -- seeing God face to face -- will soon be allowed when man looks at the face of the Child Jesus. 

Elizabeth is married to Zechariah also a descendent of Aaron, who serves in the temple. Zechariah has been unable to speak for six months. He will not utter a word until the day when his son is born and circumcised. On that day, He will give his son the name, John, in obedience to God according to the message of the Angel Gabriel. John will be known by many in Judea as the baptiser. 

Zechariah, who doubted the angel's words, has not been able to speak since that encounter. He can only make signs with his hands. The angel had told him that God remembered his prayers; his wife Elizabeth will conceive and bear a son. Zechariah was afraid. He protested that God waited too long to give such a blessing, “How shall I know this to be true? I am old and my wife is stricken with years.” (Lk. 1:18) God’s ways are not man’s ways. Abraham had to wait for God to give to him a son through his wife Sarah. He too struggled with waiting, giving up and having a child through Hagar, the bondswoman of Sarah.

Still God’s timing is perfect. Elizabeth is not simply one of many possible woman to be the mother of God’s prophet; she and Zechariah were predestined to be the parents of the Baptist, “I knew you before you were formed in the womb.” For all things which exist do so first in the mind of God. “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night.” (Ps. 90:4) 

Six months after Elizabeth conceives her son, her cousin Mary also conceives a child under  different and joyful circumstances. Even this short duration of time has meaning and significance. Six is a number of man, the number of man laboring, and the number of the commandment “Thou shall not murder.” Elizabeth in three months will go into labor. Mary's son will identify Himself as the “son of man.” Both sons will be murdered by political authorities in Judea and Jerusalem. 

Elizabeth’s cousin is a young betrothed virgin with child.  Her name is Mary (Mariam) which means in Hebrew “bitter.” Her name harks back to Israel’s past when another woman named Mariam lived. That Mariam was Moses’ sister during a time when the people of Israel were living a bitter life under the whip of the Egyptian Pharaoh. 

The people of Israel now exist under another whip. Caesar Augustus,  Emperor of Rome,  rules over the Holy Land along with his petty kings and governors. With the naming of one’s daughter as Mary (Mariam), the people are asking God to fulfill a promise made through Moses, who foretold, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.” (Deut. 18:15) Interestingly, Mary will say these same words to several servants at a wedding feast in Cana, “Do whatever he

"Do whatever He tells you," His mother told the servants.

(my son) tells you.” (Jn. 2:5 ) Mary speaks like Moses and like God the Father, Who says to the apostles Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him.” (Lk. 9:35)

Elizabeth represents the woman Israel who came out of Egypt and gives birth to genuine prophets — who receive a word from God and not men. This woman closes the pages of the Old Covenant. It is through this woman that God brings forth the final and greatest of prophets; one foretold through the lips of Isaiah “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” (Isaiah 40:3) and through the lips of Malachi. "I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.”(Mal. 3:1) 

John will be that voice in the desert,  and that  prophet, who comes in the power and spirit of Elijah, preparing the way of the Lord. The pieces are all beginning to fit together within salvation history. There will be no doubt among many in Israel that the messianic age has come upon them. Tragically, the child born of Mary will be the cause of the rise and fall of many in Israel. A sword will pierce the mother's heart so that the thoughts of many will be revealed. Many will openly resist the kingdom of God. A small remnant will persevere in the revelation which is given by Jesus Christ, the Lord’s anointed. 

Mary epitomizes the woman Israel who the prophet Isaiah identified as being clothed with the garments of salvation over whom the Lord God of Israel rejoices. (Isaiah 61:10) The garments of salvation are the flesh and blood of the Incarnate Word of God. The archangel

Gabriel gave to Mary this greeting: “Rejoice Mary, for you have found favor with God.” (Lk. 1:30) Israel in the person of Mary becomes a bride in the fullest sense for she is a virgin overshadowed by the glory cloud of God. She conceives in her heart and her womb the living Word of God. St. Luke writes, “In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. She ponders in humility God’s spoken word and seeks to understand it. She is the embodiment of faith seeking understanding. She will tell her cousin, “For He who is mighty as done great things to me and Holy is His Name.” (Lk. 1:49)

The angel says to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” This is a prophecy of wonder and sorrow. For in the background looms another revelation spoken to King David centuries before, “Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.” (2 Sam. 12:10) Mary will be reminded of this fact when prophet Simeon tells her, “And a sword shall pierce your heart.” (Lk. 2:35)

With great faith and trust, Mary gives the fiat (yes) to God’s Word — which was in the beginning with God and was God. Now God’s Word no longer will be comprehended solely within sacred scrolls nor hidden within an ark made of acacia wood, nor unapproachable within a temple made of stone — but at the moment of her yes, the Word was tabernacled amongst men.

Elizabeth’s unborn child is the fruit of her and her husband’s seed through a miracle of healing. Mary is a virgin who conceives in her heart and womb the eternal Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Her child is the fruit of God and Mary’s seed (St. Ignatius of Antioch). Mary makes haste to visit her cousin.

St. Luke writes that Mary makes haste to visit her cousin traveling from Nazareth in Galilee to the hill country of Judea. She enters the house of Zechariah. When Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting, she is filled with the Holy Spirit and the infant John leaps within the womb of Elizabeth. (Lk. 1:41) 

There is a cause and effect that Luke wants his readers to see -- that Mary’s words are anointed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. She speaks prophetically. She is a living temple as described in Peter’s Letter, “As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Pt. 2:5)

Mary brings the Child Jesus to Elizabeth and John. The movement of John in Elizabeth’s womb is evidence of both natural and supernatural life; John is reborn from above. It should be noted that the archangel Gabriel told Zechariah that his son would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. (Lk. 1:15) St. Ambrose explains that the prophecy of the angel is literally fulfilled when Elizabeth hears Mary’s voice. Through the love of Mary and Elizabeth, the unborn Jesus meets the unborn John.

The Holy Spirit inspires Elizabeth to say to Mary that through her faith, the Lord is in the midst of His people Israel.“How is it the mother of my Lord should come to me?” Elizabeth asks Mary. Mary again is no more than several

days pregnant. St. Luke the doctor captures in the Gospel, that human nature — composed of body, soul, and will — begins at conception. With Mary’s yes, the hypostatic union exists. Jesus is one divine person, with two natures (human and divine). Jesus to be truly God and truly man must be united to human flesh, spirit (soul), and will.

With the conception of man, a complete human person exists. In essence, Jesus becomes an embryo in His mother’s womb to redeem the human embryo. Jesus becomes an unborn child to redeem the human unborn child. Jesus becomes a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult so as redeem every aspect of human life.

Again Elizabeth says to Mary, “How is it the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

Elizabeth’s spirituality is passed onto her son John who will one day say to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (Matt.3:14) Mothers — so it is said — do pass something more of themselves to their sons; fathers to their daughters. The Catholic Faith teaches that God the Father gave to Mary a pure conception. Mary in turn gave to Jesus a pure human body. What is love but the giving of oneself to another? The Son dwelling in the womb of Mary sanctifies the son dwelling in the womb of Elizabeth. John in return will baptize Jesus who will be anointed with the Holy Spirit by God the Father. John will give his life to Jesus and Jesus will give his life for John and all humanity. Mary under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will proclaim how much her whole being magnifies the Lord. 

St. Luke writes that Mary stayed for three months in the house of Zechariah. After three months the baby John is born and named. Zechariah speaks and it is well worth the wait.  Mary returns home to Nazareth and even this is by divine providence.

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At The Heart of the Church from the Beginning: Mary Mother of God

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, Jan. 1, 2017

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Tucson, AZ

Today our Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. We rarely celebrate

this feast on Sunday, so it is normally a Holy Day of obligation. Now it falls on Sunday, so we celebrate the Mother of God in the Sunday liturgy.

This teaching has been at the heart of the Church even before it was declared official doctrine at the Council of Ephesus in 431. That Mary is the Mother of God can be seen in the writings of the early Church Fathers who recognized the sacred truth and great gift of divine maternity that was bestowed upon Mary, the humble handmaid of the Lord.

In fact, even the catacombs dug under the city of Rome -- where the first Christians gathered to celebrate Mass in times of persecution -- contain paintings titled "Mary, Mother of God."

In today’s second reading (Galatians 4:4-7), Saint Paul says that “[In] the fullness of time God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” Therefore, Saint Paul tells us that by being born of a woman, under the law, the Son of God participates in the human condition. He is one of us because of Mary.

Mary, in a way, can be seen as a bridge between God and humanity. It is through her that the divinity of Jesus enters into our world so that we can share in the life of God. God

has come in the flesh -- in our humanity -- so that we can share in His divinity! It is through Mary that we have been given the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. If there were no Mary, we would have no Eucharist. If there was no Mary, no Christmas. With no Mary, we would have no salvation.

My brothers and sisters, as we come together for this Mass on this holy day of the celebration of Mary, the Mother of God, let us honor our Blessed Mother! 

Let us be reminded that as God used Mary to bring His Son into our world, so God continues to use Mary, the Mother of God, to protect us from harm and evil as we prepare for Her Son’s return in glory. 

Today we begin a new year. Therefore, today’s celebration reminds us that there is no better way to begin then by honoring our Blessed Mother and by seeking Her protection upon us and all humanity. As we enter into this New Year, let us be prepared for whatever may come because we are indeed living in dangerous and uncertain times! 

Our Blessed Mother, herself, has warned us about the difficulties in which we are living today. In fact, this year we are about to enter marks the 100th anniversary of our Blessed Mother’s apparitions at Fatima, Portugal.

"Men must amend their lives, and ask pardon for their sins. . . . They must no longer offend Our Lord, Who is already so much offended,” Our Lady warned.

She said to "pray much and make sacrifices for sinners [because] many souls go to hell because there is no one to make sacrifices for them. If men only knew what eternity is, how they would make all possible efforts to amend their lives [and that] mortification and sacrifice give great pleasure to Our Divine Lord."

Our Blessed Mother warned of difficult times coming upon this world if our world does not convert and that nations will even be annihilated because of the spread of sin. Our Blessed Mother taught us to pray the Rosary

for peace for the world. She said, “the Rosary is my Power…It is the weapon which you must make use of in these times of the Great Battle.” 

Fr John Paul Shea

My brothers and sisters, our Blessed Mother’s message of Fatima to pray the Rosary and make sacrifices is more important today than ever! Our world is facing many struggles today and, at some point in time, probably sooner than later, these struggles will reach a climax. We will reach the peak of the tribulation that our world has already entered.

Yet, we are promised that in the end our Blessed Mother’s Immaculate Heart will triumph. Therefore, let us look toward this day with hope.

As we enter into this New Year, let us keep our hearts focused on our salvation. Let us call upon our Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of God, to keep us faithful to her Son that He may protect us from all harm and all evil. Holy Mother of God, pray for us!

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Sometimes God Asks Us To Make A U-Turn

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

Fourth Sunday in Advent, Dec. 18, 2016

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Tucson, AZ

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit;  and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly.  But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit." 

In today’s Gospel (Matt. 1:18-24) we hear Matthew’s version of the infancy narrative. The purpose of this story is to inform us that

Mary’s virginal conception of Jesus was in fact the work of the Holy Spirit, and the drama of today’s story focuses on Joseph’s response to the mysterious working of God in their lives.

God had a plan for Mary and Joseph. His plan was carried out through God’s mysterious intervention and their openness to God. God had been preparing this plan for all humanity throughout salvation history beginning with

Genesis 3:15:  "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Yet, God’s plan of salvation not only involves Joseph and Mary, but every one of us. Mary and Joseph had a significant role God would use them to bring Our Lord Jesus into our world and raise Him. Yet, every one of us is called by God to be part of His plan for His greater glory. By our faith in Christ, we are seed of the Woman.

Therefore,  let us take this opportunity to reflect on what God is asking of us in our own lives. 

The first lesson we learn from today’s Gospel is that we need to stay close to Our Lord. Mary and Joseph were close to God. They lived holy lives and strived to follow God’s will for them.

Mary and Joseph were betrothed. Yet, they did not live together.  Joseph was a righteous man. Joseph cared for Mary and wanted the best for her. Joseph practiced self-control. He did not focus on his own passions or self-desires but what was best for Mary. Therefore, as both Joseph and Mary strived to live as God called them to live, God would

Flight into Egypt

manifest His glory in their lives in a most deep and profound way.

If we want God to work in our lives, than we too must strive to live holy and pure lives. If we are not striving to live in grace, than it will be difficult for us to hear and follow what God is asking of us.

God calls us to live in His grace no matter what state of life we live. Whether we are single or married, God calls each of us to live chastely.  Yet, how easy it is for Catholics today to stray away from living in purity?

Instead of following what we know to be God’s will, many Catholics today instead will follow their own will. For example, instead of getting married, some Catholics today instead cohabitate. Instead of allowing God to be in the center of the most sacred act of sexual intimacy, many Catholic couples today instead use contraception.

Although, the holiness of Mary and Joseph enabled them to hear God and follow His path, this did not make it easy for them to follow God’s plan. They had to rely on faith. Yet, it was through their faith that God gave Mary and Joseph the grace to fulfill what He wanted them to do. We too must have faith in God that He will give us what we need in our lives to fulfill whatever He may ask of us. We need to trust that in God anything is possible.

Sometimes God may call us to radically change our own plans and desires.  Joseph had heard about Mary’s mysterious pregnancy, and he had in his mind to divorce

her quietly. Therefore, God intervened in a mysterious and powerful way by giving Joseph a dream. This dream would inspire Joseph to radically change his plans.

It can be a similar story in our own lives. We too may have plans in our lives that God wants us to change for His greater glory. Sometimes God may lead us into a completely different direction than what we may have planned. 

I remember in my own life several years ago I was going to a boxing club. I was planning to give my life to the sport at the time. Yet, right at the time when I was really getting into the sport, God began to radically speak to my heart. 

God began to drastically move my heart into a completely new direction. Our Lord basically told me to put down my boxing gloves and pick up a Rosary. God told me to no longer fight in a boxing ring but to become a priest and fight for the salvation of souls.

Do not not fear. When the angel appeared to Saint Joseph the first words that the angel spoke were, “Joseph, do not be afraid.” Joseph was confused. He didn’t understand God’s plan. Yet, the angel reminds Joseph not to fear, but to trust in God. We too must not fear the unknown in our lives as long as we are striving to follow what our Lord asks of us.


Fear makes it easy to cut ourselves short of who God calls us to be in reality.  In our time today, many young girls become pregnant out of wedlock because they fear not being loved. Or, some women will abort their babies out of fear. Yet, today’s Gospel reminds us that whatever may be going on in our lives that we must not fear. God wants us to be free and trust in Him because He will take care of our needs!

The first words out of Our Lord’s mouth to His disciples after He has risen from the dead were, “do not be afraid.”

Saint Pope John Paul II also told us not to be afraid. He specifically spoke to the youth telling them not to fear because he understood the pressures that our modern day society places on youth. The pope knew that many youth today are falling short of glorifying God in their lives out of fear. 

Therefore, he reminds us we must not be afraid of the things of this temporal world, but to trust in Christ who can do all things! He taught us not to be satisfied with mediocracy but to put out into the deep and let down our nets for a catch.

Pope John Paul II lived his words to the utmost. He did not fear attacks against him even after being shot. He did not fear speaking the truth in all clarity despite opposition from the world. He did not fear living in old age. No. he put out into the deep and gave Our Lord everything he had until his last breath.

Fr. John Paul Shea

My brothers and sisters, as we reflect on today’s Gospel passage let us open our hearts to God’s plan in our lives. God has a plan for every one of us. He called us to Mass this evening for a reason. He wants to lead us to salvation. He wants us to become whole.

Therefore, let us stay close to our Lord. Let us follow what He asks of us by living our faith. Let us not fear whatever obstacles may come our way but trust in God because He will lead us and take care of us. Holy Mother Mary and Saint Joseph, pray for us.

Gaudete Sunday: Go Tell Others What You See and Hear

Sermon by Fr. Joseph Mungai

Third Sunday of Advent, Dec. 11, 2016

St. John the Apostle Awasi Catholic Church, Kisumu Archdiocese, Kenya

The common theme running through today’s

readings ( Isaiah 35:1-6, 10; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11) is one of joy and encouragement. The readings stress the need for patience in those awaiting the rebirth of Jesus in their hearts and lives. They give us a messages of hope—for people almost three millennia ago, for people at the beginning of the first millennium and for people today. 

Today is called Gaudete Sunday because today’s Mass begins with the opening antiphon: “Gaudete in Domino semper,” i.e., “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Today, to express our joy in the coming of Jesus as our Savior, we light the rose candle, and the priest may wear rose vestments. 

Pope Francis in rose vestments

The prophet Isaiah, in the first reading, encourages the exiled Jews in Babylon to believe that God is going to save them and transform their lives. In the second reading, James the Apostle encourages the early Christians to be patient, “because the coming of the Lord is at hand.” 

Finally, in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus encourages John the Baptist to cast away the popular political expectations about the Messiah and simply to accept his healing and preaching ministry as the fulfillment of the messianic prophecy of Isaiah.

Isaiah tries to stir up in his exiled brothers and sisters the hope of their return to Israel by assuring them of the saving power of Yahweh in their lives. He reminds them that it was through their disloyalty to God that they had lost their liberty and had been taken as slaves to Babylon where they lived in servitude for 60 years (598-538 BC). 

The Jews were finally set free by Cyrus (who had captured Babylon), and were allowed to return to their native land, rebuild the Temple and serve their God once more as His Chosen People. 

The prophet assures them that God will lead them back to their land in this second exodus (6th century B.C.), as He led their ancestors from Egypt to the Promised Land in the first exodus (13th century BC). He is going to do three things for them. 1) He will transform the wasteland lying between their land of exile and Israel into a new Garden of Eden to facilitate their journey. 2) The weak and the sick will be strengthened for the journey. 3) They will reach their destination singing and crowned with glory. The assurance of this second exodus is chosen for Advent, because both Exodus events foreshadow the coming of the Messiah.

In the second reading from James, the expectation of Jesus' imminent return did not last very long in the early Church. Even within Saint Paul's lifetime, that expectation had waned. The Apostles advised the Christians to bear witness to Christ through their heroic lives without waiting for the Parousia in their lifetime. 

Hence, in the second reading, James encourages the fearful, frustrated and persecuted early Christians to be patient. Like Isaiah, James tries to show his Christian community that what they have been hoping for was already happening. Though he stresses patience and determination, James

also reminds them that "the Judge stands at the gate." Just as the prophets believed that what they were proclaiming was already happening, the Christians needed to behave as though the returned risen Jesus were already influencing their lives. 

James uses the analogy of a farmer who must wait patiently for the ground to yield its fruit. In the same way, we must trust that God is bringing abundance into our lives, although we cannot see it yet. St. James' warning is clear: If anyone among you has hitherto neglected his duties to God, let him listen now to that warning and put his conscience and his life right with God.

Today's Gospel describes how Isaiah's vision of Israel's glorious future is fulfilled unexpectedly by the coming of the promised Messiah and by his healing and preaching mission. But the Jews in general expected a political Messiah who would reestablish the Davidic kingdom after overthrowing the Roman government. Hence, most of them were scandalized by Jesus’ peaceful preaching and shameful death. 

It has been conjectured disciples of John the Baptist continued to insist that John was indeed the Messiah, and they awaited his return, causing problems to early Christians. Hence, all four Evangelists highlighted John’s important role as the Messiah’s herald but emphasized that John’s was a secondary and subordinate role in salvation history. Matthew, in the second part of today’s Gospel, presents Jesus, the true Messiah, as paying the highest compliments to John the Baptist as his herald and the last of the prophets, and to the courage with which John proclaimed his prophetic convictions.

Scripture scholars over the centuries have wondered why John sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He were the one who was to come. There are two possible explanations: 1) John knew that Jesus was the Christ and, as a prisoner, he wanted his disciples to follow Jesus as their new master. So he sent them to ask Jesus this question and presumed that, once they had met Jesus, they would see for themselves that he was the Messiah and so would become followers of Jesus. Or 2) John began to doubt Jesus’ identity as the promised Messiah. 

The silent healing, preaching, saving, and empowering ministry of Jesus was a surprise to John and to those who expected a fire-and-brimstone Messiah. Besides, Jesus had not yet fulfilled John's prediction that the One-to-come would baptize the repentant in the Holy Spirit. 

Nor did Jesus conform to popular Jewish beliefs about a warrior and a political Messiah who would bring political, social, and economic deliverance to Israel. Instead, Jesus pronounced blessings on the poor in spirit, the meek, and peacemakers (5:1-11). He called his disciples to love their enemies (5:42-48). He warned his disciples not to judge others (7:1-5). For John, these teachings might have seemed to weaken rather than to strengthen the Messiah’s cause. Furthermore, Jesus moved away from Jerusalem, the home of the Temple and the center of religious authority, and began his ministry in Galilee among the common people (4:12). 

John proclaimed the power of the coming Messiah to bring in a new age, and instead found himself imprisoned in the dungeon of Herod’s prison-fortress at Machaerus, southeast of the Dead Sea. He may have been wondering why the expected Messiah was not setting him free as Isaiah (61:1) had predicted. John may have found sympathetic doubters among his own disciples who might have wondered how the Messiah could leave their own teacher in prison, and how He could

usher in the kingdom without political or military might. This may have been why John sent his disciples to dispel his doubt, asking: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

Jesus' generosity to dispel doubts met John's humility to accept correction. Instead of criticizing Jesus or breaking away from him, John approached Jesus through his disciples. The disciples asked Jesus whether he was the one to come or if they should look for another. John may have had his doubts, but he was open to hearing Jesus say that he was, indeed, the one! 

John must have recognized the Scriptural allusions behind Jesus' answer. Isaiah 29:18 speaks of the deaf hearing and the blind seeing. Isaiah 35:6 speaks of the lame leaping like a deer. Isaiah 26:19 speaks of the dead becoming alive. Isaiah 61:1 speaks of good news for the oppressed, the brokenhearted, captives and prisoners. These were signs of the Messiah's coming. 

Jesus could have rebuked John for his doubts, but instead offered him a blessing. Jesus had not lived up to John's expectations, but John did not allow that to be a stumbling block (skandalizomia). Soon enough, Jesus would deal with the people of his hometown, who took offense at him (13:57). Complimenting John, Jesus says that John is the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1 ("See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me"), presenting the Baptist as the end-time messenger, the forerunner of the Messiah.

There are several life messages in these readings from Scripture.  We need to learn how to survive a faith crisis. From a theological perspective, this entire episode helps us to understand how the experience of a faith crisis can play a role in our spiritual and emotional development. If John the Baptist, even after having had a direct encounter with Jesus the Messiah, could

question, doubt and question his Faith, then so can we. If disillusionment is a necessary precondition for a more resilient faith, then we, too, must be open to its possibilities. In moments of doubt, despair and disillusionment, we are, indeed, in good company. 

Occasional doubts – even horrifying doubts – are one thing, but doubts that persist in the face of every Biblical remedy demand careful attention. Let us remember the truth that all our Christian dogmas are based on our trust and faith in the Divinity of Jesus Who taught them, and on His Divine authority by which He authorized the Church to teach what He taught. It is up to us to learn our faith in depth, so that God will be able to dispel our doubts. 

 “Go and tell others what you hear and see.” In medieval times, this day—the Third Sunday of Advent—was called Gaudete Sunday, as an equivalent to Laetare Sunday during Lent. As

we pray today, we also rejoice that the Lord does not fail to show his power and might. We rejoice at the thought that Jesus is going to be reborn in our lives, deepening in us His gifts of love, mercy, forgiveness and the spirit of humble and sacrificial service during this Christmas season. During this season, let us joyfully share God’s bountiful grace, forgiveness, and mercy with others. What Jesus commanded John’s disciples, he commands us as well: Go and tell others what you hear and see.

We need to open our hearts and let God transform our lives: We, too, should be encouraged by today’s readings. They remind us that our lives can also be transformed, if we are patient and place our trust in God. The message of Advent is that God is present among us, in our everyday lives. We must prepare our hearts to recognize and welcome Him. 

“If a man is the center of his [own] life, everyone around him becomes hell for him because everyone around him interferes with

Rejoice! Fr. Joe Mungai visiting the United States in winter 

him and obstructs what he wants to do” (Jean Paul Sartre). Let us believe in our hearts the Gospel message about Jesus given by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Will we allow the Holy Spirit, through these Gospel reports, to create a metánoia (a change of thinking about God, ourselves, and the world) in us during Advent?

Time to Repent! The Axe Lies at the Root of the Trees

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

Second Sunday in Advent, Dec. 4, 2016

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Tucson, AZ

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

As we come together on this Second Sunday of Advent, let us listen to the words of Saint

St. John the Baptist in the Wilderness
by Bartolome Esteban Murillo

John the Baptist in today’s Gospel.(Matthew 3:1-12)

 
Saint John the Baptist  -- considered the greatest prophet by Our Lord Jesus Christ -- was the real deal. He was passionate for God!  He was the last prophet of the prophets of the Old Testament and therefore would become the bridge between the Old and the New Testaments. 

Mary vistis Elizabeth. John is
sanctified in his mother's womb

He was filled with the Holy Spirit from the time he was in his mother’s womb, and he would let nothing stop him from his mission to prepare the way of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We hear of Saint John the Baptist’s mission in today’s Gospel passage as he sets out into the desert of Judea. He is “the voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” 

Yet, let us be reminded that God called John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord Jesus in His first coming, but his mission is not ended. His message of repentance and conversion is even more vital for us today as we await the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ who will come in all His glory to judge heaven and earth!

Therefore, the proclamation of John the Baptist for repentance and conversion needs to be proclaimed today with even more passion and zeal.

For, our Lord Jesus is coming again soon! “His winnowing fan [will be] in his hand! He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire!”

Fr John Paul Shea 

My brothers and sisters, let us not underestimate the importance of Saint John the Baptist’s proclamation in today’s Gospel!

The call for repentance and conversion is the central mission of our Church and it always has been. This is why  Jesus called His disciples -- to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and we need to believe in the Gospel! Yet, it seems today that many in our Church are losing sight of this message.

 
The reality is that many souls are lost today because of sin. Sin is everywhere! Immorality is degrading humanity and is destroying the life within many souls. 

The sanctity of marriage has become widely disregarded. Our society now accepts and encourages sexual relationships between two men or two women. Person’s cohabitate and have sex outside marriage continually. Pornography is watched on a regular basis in many households. Adultery flourishes. The Lord’s sacred Sabbath is ignored by the majority, and many simply put their own desires and entertainment before God! 

Yet, with all the sin that is taking toll on so many souls, where is the proclamation of the message of John the Baptist in our world today that says repent? Where is the proclamation of John the Baptist in our Church today that says, “Turn away for sin, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand?”

Instead of proclaiming the message of repentance, it seems as if our Church today is more concerned with proclaiming a message of tolerance, acceptance, accompaniment, and discernment. It seems that more and more Catholics today are more concerned with appeasing the world than saving souls.

Yet, what does Saint John the Baptist say? He says, “You brood of vipers… Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance” and do not presume God’s mercy!” 

The need for repentance and conversion cannot be underestimated. The message of John the Baptist of the need for repentance and conversion is more important today than ever!

For the reality is that there is a hell. There is eternal damnation, and many souls are in jeopardy. Many have forgotten about God, and many who do acknowledge God presume His mercy. 

Therefore, let us acknowledge the seriousness of the words of Saint John the Baptist in today’s Gospel passage. For Our Lord Jesus is coming again soon to judge heaven and earth. “Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees,” and “every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire!”

Saint John the Baptist, pray for us!