As we begin this new liturgical year, was there a good point made in the sermon you heard during the Holy Mass in fulfillment your of Sunday Obligation?
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There were undoubtly many good points made in today’s homily. Many. The darling toddlers seated in front and behind me were busily making toddler noises and doing toddler things, so I didn’t hear much of the homily. I’ll listen tomorrow after it has been posted on the Oratory’s website.
I love the toddlers, and wow we’ve a bumper crop of them in our parish. Amazing, really. The young families with vans full of kids seem to be pouring into our TLM parish.
Two good things were included in the bulletin: First, we’re going to have a Rorate Caeli Mass on a Saturday morning this month. Second, a colorful handout inviting us to attend the Pontifical High Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also this month. My wife and I are looking forward to both Masses.
Judge yourself every day by examining your conscience every day. That is the best way to prepare for the day when you will stand before the Judge of the living and the dead. . (And of course, then GO TO CONFESSION!)
Our bishop was in town at today’s Mass for Confirmation. Among other things, he talked about when he had been stationed at a parish and school in Marin County in farming country where things were slow and God was important. When he was named aux. Bishop of San Jose, he said he noticed the difference immediately because all the drivers were angry looking. And there was the feeling that the the important beings in the area were the people who were creating everything (it’s Silicon Valley) not God.
We had 6 (count’ em SIX!) children for First Communion/Confirmation today, including one with the trifecta of Baptism, Confirmation, and First Communion. That’s way up from the 2 or 3 or maybe none we usually have.
And our newish pastor continues his slow but sure ways of bringing practices more back in line. Yippee.
My sermon for both forms was simple. We must build up a “holy desire.” Holy desire prepares us for His three fold coming: Historical, personal end of life, and end of the world. We do this through silence & solitude, frequent Sacramental life, and acts of charity.
A professor asked his class: Which is worse, ignorance or indifference? A student shot back: “I don’t know, and I don’t care!”
Fr circled back to last week’s Gospel about Jesus coming at Judgment Day to sort the sheep from the goats. Both are ignorant—both say “when did we…?” but the goats may also be indifferent.
Father suggested some things to do this Advent:
try to reconcile with people, especially family members, for whom breaks in relationships have occurred—even if your advances are rejected, you have made the first step.
Invite people to Mass. Donate to the less fortunate. Perform spiritual and corporal works of mercy, as you take stock of your life.
Don’t be indifferent, as well as ignorant.
I talked about the problem for which Christmas gives the solution: we need a Savior. All the false gods have failed, and either we despair, or bend the knee to to Jesus Christ.
We are in that time of the year of increasing darkness. It reminds us as to what is the light of the world. This world is passing away. The secular world believes it is all that there is and it will just go on forever, unchanging and centered on Man. What Paul refers to in the Epistle as being asleep. But God changed everything at the Nativity. We are now in the “endgame”. It is not a coincidence that Christmas comes right after the solstice just as the days are starting to get longer and we are coming out of the darkness. We still have to be engaged in the world though. The Benedictines have a saying “Ora at Labora” – prayer and work. We need to both pray and to earn our keep. We don’t know when the Lord is coming but have to prepare our soul for it. That is what Advent is for.
Father made a number of good points, including: reminding us that Christmas is just as much about waiting for the Parousia as it is celebrating Christ’s birth in Bethlehem; explaining that Advent is likewise not just about preparing for the holy day, but also about preparing for the Second Coming and for our deaths; telling us that we should get to Confession in Advent–and wouldn’t going to Confession be a great birthday gift for Jesus?; etc.
We heard an excellent homily on the difference between the authentic and false when it comes to love and mercy. True love is charity, and true mercy is justly choosing not to exercise power when one has it. False love is affirmation, and false mercy ignores justice. Father finished with a sharply worded, specific warning against the false love and mercy currently infecting the Church.