FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR A 1 DECEMBER 2013
Stanley Hauerwas, the curmudgeon of Christian ethicists, says that we have to understand religion as “embodied in a set of practices, such that we live in a different world from those who don't share that ethos.” As the Church begins another year and as we, once again, look forward to the coming of Christ, it would do well to consider that we Christians do indeed live “in a different world” — walking “in the light of the Lord” [Isaiah], conducting ourselves “properly as in the day” [Romans], and trying, therefore, to “stay awake” [Matthew]. This year, Advent might be the time when we take a sober look at what practical consequences (should) follow upon our acknowledgment that we await the coming of the Son of Man. What should be “different” about our behavior? Will your homily here at the start of the Season hold up a lamp to illuminate who we are, and how we act, so that your assembly will be truly prepared? Pray. Spend a few moments in prayer before reading this Sunday’s Scriptures. Ask the Lord to let his Word speak to your heart. Lord, I pray for the good of my sisters and brothers as I prepare to preach to them your Word. The night is advanced and the day is at hand: help us to put on Christ who is Lord forever and ever. Amen. Enter the Word. Read the Scriptures a number of times: Lectionary 1. Let the words and phrases touch your heart.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
Isaiah 2:1-5 Come let us climb the Lord’s mountain.
Psalm 122 Let us go rejoicing....
Romans 13:11-14 Awake from sleep.
Gospel of Matthew 24:37-44 You also must be prepared.
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Take an Ainward glance.@ [Isaiah] “From Zion shall go forth instruction.” What have you “learned” about the Lord, but have not truly taken in? Of all that you’ve learned about God, what has thoroughly found a home in your heart? What do you still need to learn? [Psalm] “Pray for peace.” Christmas is recognized as the Season of Peace, and Christ as its Prince. As you pray for peace this week, pray, too, for justice. What injustices require your attention? What activities bring you the most peace? What activities cause you stress? What do you do about the latter? [Romans] “Our salvation is nearer now.” How is your salvation nearer to you now than it was, say, a decade or two ago? Name the ways in which the Lord is making his salvation known to you. How have you responded to this nearness?
“As it was . . . so it will be.” How much are you the product of your past? How are you held back by what happened to you when you were young? How are you buoyed by the events of your youth? How is today’s world similar to the world of Noah? How is it better?
“Out in the field.” What kind of ‘laborer’ are you? Are you ‘out in the field’ as much as you should be? What kind of example of the virtue of industry do you give to others?
“Be sure of this.” What are you most sure of, as a Christian? What are you most sure of as you preach? What do you try to convince your assembly of most often? Take an Aoutward glance.@ [Isaiah] “From Zion shall go forth instruction.” What do your sisters and brothers ‘learn’ when they come to church on Sundays? What kinds of behavior are extolled most from the pulpit? How much encouragement does your assembly receive from their homilist? [Romans] “You know the time.” Time is the measurement of change: how has your assembly changed, over time? What Advent virtues come readily to your brothers and sisters in the assembly? What Advent virtues still come at a hard price?
“You don’t know.” Is ignorance really bliss? What do members of your congregation know
about the Lord that their preacher could learn from them? What don’t they know as much, and could learn from their homilist? What is the one thing they should know especially well by the time Christmas arrives?
“Be prepared.” For two thousand years, Christians have prepared by prayer and fasting. What special opportunities for prayer have been arranged for your parishioners? What will be told to them about fasting? Prepare your homily. Your salvation is nearer now than when you first believed: perhaps you have spent time this week considering what this might mean in your life. As you prepare your homily, try to preach with an urgency that reflects the fruits of your meditation, as one who needs to be vigilant just as much as your congregation does! Pray. To conclude your preparation, spend a few moments in prayer.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
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SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR A 8 DECEMBER 2013
“On that day,” Isaiah begins as he poetically describes some distant and salvific future. “Even now,” John the Baptist insists, proclaiming that the future has arrived — and in the person of “the One who is coming after” him. The two prophets seem to speak of very different realities: Isaiah, of babies playing peacefully at the cobra’s den; and John, of axes violently put to the root of trees and chaff burning with “unquenchable fire.” How fitting that Paul should tell the Romans of two virtues that arise from the Scriptures. Endurance is needed for John’s vision, and encouragement can be found in Isaiah’s. How will you galvanize your assembly this Sunday? Your cantor will sing the Alleluia verse, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths,” and you will need to draw the Scriptures together for both endurance and encouragement. Is your prophetic zeal up to the task of assisting your sisters and brothers in preparing for the Lord’s advent? Pray. Spend a few moments in prayer before reading this Sunday’s Scriptures. Ask the Lord to let his Word speak to your heart. God of endurance and encouragement, may my preaching be an instrument of peace and hope. May we think in harmony with one another and, with one voice, may we glorify you who are God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Enter the Word. Read the Scriptures a number of times: Lectionary 4. Let the words and phrases touch your heart.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
Isaiah 11:1-10 There shall be no harm or ruin.
Psalm 72 He shall rescue the poor.
Romans 15:4-9 We might have hope.
Gospel of Matthew 3:1-12 John the Baptist appeared.
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Take an Ainward glance.@ [Isaiah] “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.” When have you felt the spirit of the Lord resting upon you? Imagine how hard preaching would be without that spirit. What was going on in your personal life when the Lord’s spirit felt distant? When was it the strongest? [Psalm] “The lives of the poor he shall save.” Over the course of your ministry, when have you felt most poor? Name the ways in which you plan to become poorer before Christmas. How are you trying to benefit from special spiritual practices during Advent? [Romans] “By the encouragement of the Scriptures.” When have the Scriptures brought you encouragement? Name the times when even the Scriptures seemed unable to bring you peace. How long did such periods last? What enabled you to feel encouraged by them again?
“John the Baptist.” The Gospel says simply that he “appeared.” Who has just “appeared,” in your life, bringing unexpected consolation? What does the image of the Baptist conjure up for you as a preacher? Why is he easy, or hard, to preach for you?
“They acknowledged their sins.” How easy is it for you to acknowledge your sins? How long does it take you to own up to your failings? Have you gone to confession since Advent began? What special grace from the sacrament of reconciliation are you most in need of these days?
“I am baptizing you, for repentance.” How mindful are you of the global need for repentance? What role should all the baptized play in encouraging such repentance? Take an Aoutward glance.@ [Isaiah] “No harm or ruin.” Many of your sisters and brothers have known both harm and ruin; still they come to Mass. What do they need to hear from their preacher this Sunday? What harm have they experienced — which you yourself have been spared? [Romans] “Welcome one another.” How hospitable are your parishioners’ ministers? How hospitable are your parishioners to one another? How vibrant is the ministry of hospitality in your parish? Who shoulders the burden of hospitality?
“Prepare the way of the Lord.” Name the ways that your sisters and brothers are preparing
the way of the Lord. What assistance does their parish given them in this indispensable work? What rough ways need to be smoothed in your parish? Who are the rough characters in your parish in need of a little smoothing?
“Evidence of your repentance.” What evidence of repentance does your congregation give on Sunday? What evidence do they show the rest of the week? Prepare your homily. Encouragement and endurance. Perhaps you have considered these two gifts of the Word as you’ve prepared your homily this week. Your sisters and brothers need both as they prepare for the Lord’s coming. Try to draw your preaching from your own experience of these gifts and, as well, your own continuing need for them. Your assembly will thereby feel strengthened.
Pray. To conclude your preparation, spend a few moments in prayer.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR A 15 DECEMBER 2013
Four months ago, we listened to Jeremiah in the cistern, noting that Joseph, before him, and John the Baptist, after him, met the same fate. This Sunday, we finally hear of the Precursor’s concerns as he languished in imprisonment: not Jeremiah’s bold prophesies, but a deeply felt worry about whether Jesus was ‘the One.’ With hindsight, we can sadly contextualize that worry: Joseph and Jeremiah were ultimately freed, but the Baptist went to his death, learning from Jesus only that the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk — miracles for everyone else, it turned out, but not for him. Nevertheless, as John well knew, these were indeed the long-awaited signs of the salvation to come [Isaiah] and James would later extol John’s prophetic ministry, reminding us to “take as an example of hardship and patience, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” With the memory of your own suffering in mind, will you preach of patience to those who long for miracles? Pray. Spend a few moments in prayer before reading this Sunday’s Scriptures. Ask the Lord to let his Word speak to your heart. Lord, teach me patience during this holy Season as my sisters and brothers long for salvation. Let your Spirit be upon me as I bring glad tidings to the poor in the name of Christ your Son. Amen. Enter the Word. Read the Scriptures a number of times: Lectionary 7. Let the words and phrases touch your heart.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10 Sorrow and mourning will flee.
Psalm 146 The Lord sets captives free.
James 5:7-10 Be patient, brothers and sisters.
Gospel of Matthew 11:2-11 Are you the one who is to come?
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Take an Ainward glance.@ [Isaiah] “Be strong, fear not.” When do you feel most weak? What strikes fear in your heart? Do you suppose others look to you for strength? What is it about you that makes others feel less fearful when they are in your presence? [Psalm] “The Lord God keeps faith forever.” What evidence, from your own life and ministry, can you provide about the Lord’s keeping faith? When has the Lord been most trustworthy with you? Name the times when you have doubted, just for a moment perhaps, that the Lord was a God you could trust. [James] “Take as an example of hardship and patience. . . .” Who in your life is, or was, the finest example of patience in the face of hardship? What kinds of hardship, or suffering, make you lose your patience?
“Go and tell John what you hear and see.” Look around you. What do you see and hear that
bespeak the Kingdom’s having arrived in earnest. How is the Prince of Peace and King of Kings affording you glimpses of his power?
“The poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” What is the good news you proclaim
to the poor? Must they wait until heaven to receive justice? How have your actions spoken even louder than your words? What more can you do?
“Greater than he.” Who, in your parish, are the “least in the kingdom of heaven” who are
greater than John the Baptist? How might you decrease so that the Lord might increase? What one activity, person, place or substance do you need to avoid in order to become “less” in God’s kingdom? Take an Aoutward glance.@ [Isaiah] “Hands that are feeble, . . . knees that are weak.” In your mind’s eye, scan the congregation you’ll be preaching to. Who among your parishioners is Isaiah describing? How are the feeble and weak in your parish assisted? With Christmas so near, how might the whole parish come to their rescue? [James] “Do not complain.” What would your Sunday assembly complain about the most, if they disregarded James’ advice? Would your assembly be right in complaining? What would be the result if they made their complaints known to their preacher?
“Should we look for another?” Even as we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus, many Christians are turning to other (false) prophets. Who are these prophets, and what are their supposed charms? How could you make Jesus more attractive to them?
“To see a prophet?” Does your congregation see and hear a prophet when you preach to them? What are they looking for in a prophet? What would they dislike if they actually heard one? Prepare your homily. Salvation history is replete with long-awaited miracles given to long-suffering pilgrims. This week has been an opportunity for you, perhaps, to consider all that you yourself are longing for. Try to give voice in your homily, then, to the need for patience in the face of adversity as the whole Christian world awaits the coming of Salvation! Pray. To conclude your preparation, spend a few moments in prayer.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT – YEAR A 22 DECEMBER 2013
The nine months before the birth of his son was an Advent season Joseph would never forget. It took courageous fidelity to heavenly dreams and loving fidelity to his son’s mother. This Sunday’s Scriptures focus on such Advent faithfulness even though Christmas is only three days away. Though Ahaz will not ask for a sign of Yahweh’s fidelity, one is given to him anyway: “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel” (Isaiah). And Paul, intent on giving the Romans every reason to accept his teaching, calls himself a “slave of Christ Jesus” — indicating an unswerving fidelity to his, and their, Master. The Christmas trees are trimmed in every house, and almost every gift is already wrapped: will your homily this Sunday nevertheless call your assembly to an Advent faithfulness, inviting your brothers and sisters to risk everything for the Lord, as Joseph did? The Season may be drawing swiftly to a close, but there’s still time for serious commitment! Pray. Spend a few moments in prayer before reading this Sunday’s Scriptures. Ask the Lord to let his Word speak to your heart. Lord, you have set me apart for the gospel of God so that I might be obedient in my faith. May we all know your grace and peace as we long to see your face in Christ Jesus the Lord. Amen. Enter the Word. Read the Scriptures a number of times: Lectionary 10. Let the words and phrases touch your heart.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
Isaiah 7:10-14 Ask for a sign.
Psalm 24 He shall receive a blessing.
Romans 1:1-7 The gospel about his Son.
Gospel of Matthew 1:18-24 She will bear a son.
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Take an Ainward glance.@ [Isaiah] “Ask for a sign from the Lord.” What signs have you asked for? What signs have you received? What are the signs that your preaching ministry is successful? What signs can you perceive that your ministry of the Word needs some special grace? [Psalm] “Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord?” It is not athletic prowess that’s needed here: what spiritual strength is still lacking in you for this special ascent? What spiritual strengths make the ascent easy for you? [Romans] “Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus.” The fidelity of a voluntary slave is unparalleled; are you capable of such fidelity? Think about your faithfulness to the preaching ministry: what are the marks of fidelity? What are the marks, or signs, that your commitment to preaching the Word is less than faithful?
“Unwilling to expose her to shame.” Have you ever been exposed – to shame, or ridicule? Did anyone come to your rescue? Have you ever come to the rescue of someone else? What are issues that cause you shame?
“Such was his intention. . . .” We often have intentions that don’t pan out. What plans have you made for the coming year? How prepared are you should your plans not be realized?
“God is with us.” If God is with us in the Incarnation, he is also with me. Think about your
relationship with the Lord: how intimate a relationship is it? What are the indications that it lacks some of the intimacy it should have? What do you appreciate about this relationship? Take an Aoutward glance.@ [Isaiah] “Ask for a sign from the Lord.” What signs have your brothers and sisters asked for? What signs have they received? What are the pressing life situations that your parishioners are facing these days? How are they handling these situations? [Romans] “The grace of apostleship.” Who are the members of your Sunday assembly who seem to have the grace of apostleship? What are some of the outward signs of such grace? What needs to happen in your parish to invite the grace of apostleship?
“But before they lived together.” How do some of your parishioners reconcile their ‘living together’ with the demands of the Catholic doctrines regarding chastity and marriage? How are such couples treated when they approach their parish priest with a request for Christian marriage?
“Jesus: because he will save his people from their sins.” The very name of Jesus signals his
role in salvation history: do your parishioners appreciate the connection between ‘salvation’ and ‘forgiveness from sin’? Prepare your homily. There are signs all about you that God is close to you, supporting you and saving you from your sins. Perhaps this week’s preparation has been an opportunity for you to express your gratitude for this gift. And to commit yourself more deeply in faithfulness to him. Preach from this gratitude, and for this faithfulness. Your people will be grateful, too. Pray. To conclude your preparation, spend a few moments in prayer.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
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NATIVITY OF THE LORD – YEAR A 25 DECEMBER 2013
On the first Sunday of Advent, Paul told the Romans that “salvation is nearer now, the night has advanced, the day is at hand.” Now, on Christmas morning, John tells us how apt Paul’s imagery is: the Word is the “true light” — the “light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Come full circle, the theme of light and darkness has been fully played out now that the ends of the earth have seen “the salvation of our God” [Isaiah]. The joy of your preaching must match the Christmas joy of your assembly and this is no small feat! The Christmas homilist must share “glad tidings” with those who have already heard it, and this good news must be experienced by those who have found more secular ways to celebrate it. Will you preach with joy on Christmas morn? Will your brothers and sisters hear a preacher who knows how close salvation really is? Pray. Spend a few moments in prayer before reading this Sunday’s Scriptures. Ask the Lord to let his Word speak to your heart. Lord, I walk in the light of your countenance. You are my father, my God, my savior. May my joy be complete as we celebrate the birth of Jesus who is Christ the Lord. Amen. Enter the Word. Read the Scriptures a number of times: Lectionary 13-16. Let the words and phrases touch your heart.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
Isaiah 52:7-10 Break out together in song!
Psalm 98 Sing to the Lord a new song.
Hebrews 1:16 He has spoken to us through the Son.
Gospel of John 1:1-18 In the beginning....
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Take an Ainward glance.@ [Vigil: Isaiah] “The Lord delights in you.” Imagine that this is a recent phenomenon! What is it about you, lately, that the Lord has found especially delightful. What do you suppose the Lord is looking forward to delighting in soon? [Midnight: Isaiah] “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” When have you walked in darkness? Were you able to share this with someone? Does your spiritual director know about this dark period? [Midnight: Titus] “The grace of God has appeared, saving all.” Christmas is a time of ‘universal’ good will, even among non-Christians. What are your thoughts these days about the universal salvific will of God? What more can you do to inspire a less provincial, more open, view of salvation among your brothers and sisters? [Midnight: Luke] “They made known the message.” How will your message be similar to that of the shepherds’? How will it need to differ? In other words, what do you know — that they didn’t? After all, what is the Christmas message — and how has it changed for you over the years? [Day: Hebrews] “Through the Son.” Everything is ours ‘through the Son’ — for what are you most grateful this Christmas? What is the most precious gift that is yours ‘through the Son’? Spend a few moments contemplating, with gratitude, all that is yours this Christmas. [Day: John] “And the Word became flesh.” In what ways has the Word been enfleshed for you? In what ways are you the Word enfleshed for your brothers and sisters? How do you encourage your assembly’s ‘becoming’ what they ‘receive’ in Communion? Take an Aoutward glance.@ [Dawn: Titus] “Heirs in hope of eternal life.” How often, do you suppose, are your parishioners thinking about eternal life? Do they believe that they have inherited this hope for eternal life? What obstacles exist in their daily life that make it difficult to think about heaven? [Dawn: Luke] “The infant lying in a manger.” Other than the cross, the manger scene is singularly capable of inspiring the holiest thoughts and the holiest behavior. What is it about the babe in a manger that strikes your parishioners’ imagination so strongly? [Day: John] “The Word was God.” John’s Gospel on Christmas day is so startling. Do you suppose that the congregation is disappointed when they don’t hear the “Christmas Story” proclaimed? Are most of the assembly even ready for Johannine theology on Christmas morn? [Day: John] “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Grace, yes. But truth? How do think your parishioners understand the sources for truth — especially moral truth? Prepare your homily. With only two days to prepare, there has not been much opportunity to consider the great privilege you have in announcing the glad tidings of a savior born into the world, and born into your heart. Try to preach with a joy you’ve only barely expressed before. Let your assembly see, and hear, something new from you: after all, Salvation has arrived for you, too! Pray. To conclude your preparation, spend a few moments in prayer.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
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THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH – YEAR A 29 DECEMBER 2013
Honor thy father and mother. If this were the only reference to family life in Scripture, it would be enough. But the fourth commandment enshrines a vision of ‘family values’ that was already part and parcel of the Israelites’ community standards. Instead, the Feast of the Holy Family begins with Sirach and Colossians in every liturgical cycle and, this year, presents us with Matthew’s story of Jesus’ early years. As in Luke, the family ends up in Nazareth; but the Matthean Jesus is called out of Egypt as a Second Moses, leading the New Israel to salvation. If Christians are called to model their own family life on that of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we certainly have less-than-serene and idyllic examplars. The ‘culture of death’ exerts its influence both from within and from without the 21st-century family. Will you encouragingly call the families of your congregation to a culture of life (read: salvation) grounded in the values that Sirach and Paul extol? Pray. Spend a few moments in prayer before reading this Sunday’s Scriptures. Ask the Lord to let his Word speak to your heart. Lord, you bless those who fear the Lord and walk in your ways. May I see the fruit of my handiwork and know your many blessings through Christ the Lord. Amen. Enter the Word. Read the Scriptures a number of times: Lectionary 17. Let the words and phrases touch your heart.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 A house raised in justice to you.
Psalm 128 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.
Colossians 3:12-21 Over all these put on love.
Gospel of Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 Take the child and his mother.
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Take an Ainward glance.@ [Sirach] “Kindness to a father. . . .” Did you have the chance to show kindness to your father? Think back over the opportunities you had to do so: how might you have shown more kindness? Was it difficult to show kindness because of a difficult or turbulent relationship with him? Are you able to look back over the relationship with a spirit of forgiveness? [Sirach] “A mother’s authority.” What kind of authority figure was your mother as you were growing up? How did her authority differ from your father’s? What did you learn about authority from her? From him? [Colossians] “If one has a grievance against another.” No community can long survive if its members are holding grudges against each other. Do you hold grudges? What are the secret hurts and wounds that you just can’t shake? Have you brought them to confession?
“Rise . . . rose . . . Rise . . . rose.” Joseph is obedient to the Lord, rising when told to rise. How do you view the virtue (vow) of obedience? Do you have a loose or a strict interpretation? How often are you given the opportunity to be obedient?
“He was afraid.” Think of the times when you’ve been afraid. What were the causes of this fear? Was your fear appropriate to the cause? How much does the opinion of your neighbors, or friends, mean to you?
“He shall be called a Nazorean.” Jesus wore the name of his hometown throughout his life. How much of who you are is the result of where you were brought up? How might you have been different, had you grown up somewhere else? Take an Aoutward glance.@ [Sirach] “Gladdened by children.” How much gladness does the presence of children at the Sunday liturgy bring to the celebrant? To the rest of the congregation? What are the true blessings of children in your parishioners’ lives? Whose children have brought them sorrow? [Colossians] “And be thankful.” Gratitude should be the mark of every Christian. Name the ways that your parishioners show their gratitude — to you, to the parish, to each other. Try to think of those who are finding it difficult to be thankful these days. [Colossians] “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Who are the members of your assembly who clearly have the Word of Christ dwelling in them — and richly so? What is it about them that makes this indwelling so much easier for the Lord to accomplish in them?
“Behold.” A word that is rarely, if ever, used today outside ritual settings: what are the life events for which members of your assembly might use the word ‘Behold’? Prepare your homily. The phrases, ‘culture of life’ and ‘culture of death’ are bandied about a great deal ever since the Holy Father focused our attention. This week’s preparation has been a time to consider how grateful you are for your family, and for the values you learned in its bosom. Try to preach a supportive and encouraging homily to those who may not be as fortunate as you. Pray. To conclude your preparation, spend a few moments in prayer.
Reverend Paul A. Holmes
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