Will the Christ Child Find Room In Your Heart This Christmas?

by Edwin Rodrigues 

Chandigarh, India

reprinted with permission from Sharing Magazine

Mr. Rodrigues can be found at @EdwinEd1667 on Twitter

It's December and during the first four decades of my  life, my thoughts have been directed towards cakes, carols, goodies, greeting cards, cute Nativity Scenes, fancy Christmas Trees, lights, and more hustle and  bustle. 

Thankfully, a very dear couple -- though they are not Christian, nevertheless they are very Christian at heart -- gave me food for thought.  Materialism has crept into religious celebrations of every faith.

They did not say this directly, but they made the point when they very politely suggested, “Do not spend money to buy gifts for us.”

Their message is reinforced by  Catholic and Christian media ... and personally, for me, the messages from EWTN.com have had a positive impact.

In retrospect, I wonder whether I have ever genuinely celebrated Christmas the way Jesus would like me to? 

After all, the first manger was not as cute as we depict in The Nativity Scene. It surely must have been very messy, smelly and cold too. Jesus was  warmed by the body heat of the animals and the breath of the cattle. The creatures of the stable must have recognized their Creator and His plight! 

It’s very easy to point a finger at those who denied Joseph and Mary a room at the Inn. The Inn Keeper is remembered negatively because he only offered the stable.  "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7).

Mystically, Jesus is born in every human being. His is a distressing disguise -- a unique disguise that He, as Author chooses to wear in every person, who’s created in His Image. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever." (Hebrews 13:8)

The first Christmas occurred in obscurity and deep silence. God chose poverty over fanfare and grandeur. Silence is God’s favorite language. Paradoxically, silence is the most elusive language for us especially in our day and time. More often than not, to maintain and offer just one minute of silence in the course of the 1,440 minutes of each day  becomes an uncomfortable experience.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

If I am not properly disposed, that one minute seems like agonizing eternity. Blessed Teresa of Kolkata (Calcutta) often said, “In the silence of our hearts, God speaks of His love; with our silence, we allow Jesus to love us.” 

What a beautiful exchange waits for us there! All we have to do is reach out and take it. 

Stay Awake! Don't Be Deceived!

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

1st Sunday in Advent, Nov. 29, 2015

Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Tucson, AZ

Today we begin the first week of Advent

Be vigilant

 where we focus on the end times and what will take place before the second coming of Our Lord. 

As we prepare to celebrate Our Lord’s first coming at Christmas, we are reminded that His first coming was given to us to prepare for His Second Coming.  The Lord was born into this world to prepare us for the new world that is to come.

You may recall two weeks ago that we read in the Gospel of Mark a similar message as  in today’s Gospel (Luke 21: 25-28, 34-36). Our Lord spoke about what will take place at the end of the age. He told us to pay attention to the signs of the times. He said, “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.”

Today’s Gospel also emphasizes the signs which will take place at the end of time shortly before Our Lord comes again. 

However, today Our Lord teaches us -- not only the signs -- but  what we must do. He says that we must be vigilant! 

“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

My brothers and sisters, we are called to be on guard, to stay awake, and be strong in our faith. We don’t know the day or the hour when Our Lord is going to come, but we must be prepared. We must be vigilant!

Our Lord will come at a time when many are not prepared. He says, “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap.” 

These words almost seem to be addressed specifically to our generation. How many are drowsy from carousing and drunkenness or simply from the busyness of daily life?

At the time of His second coming it will be as in the time of Noah. People were marrying, eating and drinking up until the time Noah 

closed the doors of the ark and the flood came and took them out. 

People became so focused on the world and so distant from the laws of God, that they had no clue that God was about to flood the world

for its iniquity. Only Noah and his family escaped because they were found worthy to escape the tribulation. 

It was a similar situation to the times of Sodom and Gomorrah. God rained fire and brimstone upon that city and no one escaped except Lot and his family. Amid the arrogance and shamelessness of the city, Lot was the only one found worthy to escape.

My brothers and sisters, the story of the Great Flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah should be a wakeup call for us today! The destruction was brought upon these cities and nations because they turned away from God! They indulged in rivalry and lust and practiced unnatural vice on a large scale.

In this time we need to seek the wisdom of God because history repeats itself!
Often when speaking of the end times many today will say something like, “Oh, people have always been saying that the end is near… It won’t happen in my lifetime.” 

Stay awake! Don't be deceived.
When tragedy hit on 9-11, how many people were dazed and confused. Again, when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, most of the people of New Orleans probably had no idea that over 80 percent of their city would be under water! 

We don’t know the day or the hour when our Lord is going to come, but we live in uncertain times, and today’s Gospel teaches us to be on guard, stay awake, and be strong in our faith.

If you were at one of the Masses where Deacon Paul preached last weekend, you may recall that he spoke about God’s remnant. The remnant people are those persons who strive to stay faithful to God while living in an unfaithful society and culture. In the Book of Revelation, the remnant are described as those “who do not defile themselves with [men or] woman… On their lips no deceit is found; they are unblemished.” 

The remnant are the ones who have been ransomed as the “first fruits of the human race for God and the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:4)

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

The remnant in the time of the Great Flood  were Noah and his family. The remnant in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah were Lot and his family. These were the persons whom God found worthy to escape the tribulations that were to come upon them. 

God is calling us to be His remnant people. He is calling those, who stay vigilant in keeping God’s commandments and bearing witness to Jesus, to be the first fruits of the new world to come. Let us be Our Lord’s faithful remnant people. Let us be vigilant and pray we have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and stand before the Son of Man.

The ordination of Fr. John Paul Shea to the priesthood

Learn A Lesson From The Fig Tree

Sermon by Rev. John Paul Shea

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Nov. 15, 2015

Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Tucson, AZ

In today’s Gospel (Mark13:24-32), we focus

on the end times and the great cosmic battle. We are reminded that the world we live in today is passing away, and we are to keep our hearts focused on the world that is to come!

After Our Lord describes the dramatic scenes of what will take place during the end times, He says, “Learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that he is near, at the gates.”

As He does often in the scriptures, our Lord shows us that the mysteries of God are revealed in nature. He uses examples from nature to point out signs for those with eyes to see. These signs point to when the prophesied events of the last days are near.

We do not know the time and hour when Our Lord is coming, but our Lord gives us signs to watch for when He is approaching.

What signs should we watch for? He said there will be wars and rumors of wars, but it will not yet be the end. Nation will war against nation and kingdom against kingdom and there will be famines, pestilences and many earthquakes. He has said that there will be signs in the sun, the moon, the stars. The weather will become violent. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea. These are the beginning of the sorrows of the tribulation.

“In those days after that tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” 

Fr. John Paul Shea

My brothers and sisters, as we reflect on today’s Gospel passage we are reminded that we are living in a battle. We are living in a struggle. The trials and struggles, the wars, the violence, the acts of  terrorism, the hurricane Katrinas, the tsunamis… all these things are part of the growing pains that we are going through as we await the return of Our Savior.

Are we living in the time of the second coming of Jesus today? We don’t know. But Our Lord calls us to keep our eyes focused on the signs of the times. 

We have many signs today that tell us that we are living in a time of great change and upheaval. In fact, evil today is rampant! Just the other day, as you are aware, there was a shooting and rampage in Paris that has killed over a hundred people. Disregard for human life is so common today that the average person is numb to the distance  humanity has strayed from God!

We must pray and stay close to the teachings that Our Lord handed down to us. We should pray for the intercession of Blessed Mother Mary and Saint Michael.

In fact, today's readings (Daniel 12:1-3) remind us of the power of Saint Michael. In the end times, “there shall arise Michael, the

great prince, guardian of your people; it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time.”

Saint Michael is the angel God has chosen to fight the devil. We need to call upon Saint Michael because the devil is on full attack today in our world, and he is leading many Catholics away from the truths of our faith.

In fact, it was a little over 100 years ago that Pope Leo XIII had composed the prayer to Saint Michael to help us today against the dangers which threaten our faith today.

It is said that on October 13, 1884, after Pope Leo XIII had finished celebrating Mass in the Vatican Chapel that he suddenly stopped at the foot of the altar. His face turned white and he stood there for about 10 minutes, as if in a trance. Then, Pope Leo immediately went from the Chapel to his office and composed the prayer to St. Michael.

When asked what had happened, Pope Leo explained that as he was about to leave the foot of the altar that he heard a conversation between the Lord and satan.

Pope Leo recounted that satan was boasting to our Lord saying, “I can destroy your Church." Our Lord then said to satan, "You can? Then go ahead and do so." Satan then responded to our Lord saying, "To do so, I need more time and more power." Our Lord asked, "How much time? How much power?” Then satan responded saying, "75 to 100 years, and greater power over those who will give themselves over to my service." So, Our Lord said, "You have the time, you will have the power. Do with them what you will."

My brothers and sisters, this revelation given to Pope Leo XIII back in 1884 is being manifested in our time today. Satan will never prevail against our Church, but he is attacking our Church with much fury as he turns many hearts away from the truth!

In today’s Gospel, Our Lord says that at the time of His coming that the angels will gather the elect.

Our Lord is gathering His elect now! He is calling us to be faithful among a twisted and degenerate society.

There will be difficult times ahead for all persons on earth in the future, and there will be difficulties and persecutions for our Church as it seeks to be a beacon of truth in a society that is rapidly losing sight of what is beautiful, sacred, and eternal!

But, as Christians we are to look at the end signs not as signs of doom but as signs of hope! We have hope because we seek not this world but the world that is to come, when all evil is destroyed and the humble inherit the earth.

Let us set our hearts not on this world which is passing away, but let us set our hearts on the fulfillment of the Kingdom that Our Lord has come to establish. Come Lord Jesus!

Did you enjoy this piece? There's more Fr. John Paul Shea. Perhaps you would like to read REFLECT: What Do You Need to Cut Out of Your Life?