December 2022

Nativity of the Lord’s Day (A) – December 25, 2022

Frackville, From the Pastor /

Christianity is not a narrow faith. The Gospel tells us that every human being is enlightened by God, whether they recognize God or not. Members of other religions, and people without faith, have light. The light of reason, of goodness and of truth is found in everyone, but many do not realize it as the light of God. Therefore God sent John the Baptist to witness and speak for the light, so that everyone might believe. The second reading reminds us that “At various times in the past and in various different ways, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets.” But now God has spoken through God’s Son, Jesus, who came to live among us: “The Word was made flesh.” This is the belief grasped by St Thomas, who on seeing Jesus after his resurrection murmured, “My Lord and my God”, words we might utter silently when the host and chalice are raised above the altar at Mass. 

Why was Jesus born? Why did God send Him into the world? The Gospel tells us that to all who accepted Him “he gave power to become children of God”. Those who recognize that the light within them, the desire to do good, the desire to love, the desire to seek the truth, is implanted by God really have become “children of God”. When we grasp this we are impelled to adore the God who made us, the God who is the light within us, the source and origin of love, beauty and goodness. The wonder of Christmas is that, like the ancient Roman devotees of Saturn, we know how to celebrate with singing and dancing, with feasting and fun, and exchanging presents as signs of love. Like them, gathering round their temple to rejoice in the light, we too gather here to rejoice in the light of the world. Christ came down to earth in order to raise us to heaven. He lived an earthly life so that even on earth we might begin to live the life of heaven as children of God.

Nativity of the Lord’s Day (A) – December 25, 2022 Read More »

Second Sunday of Advent (A) – December 4, 2022

Frackville, From the Pastor /

St. John the Baptist doesn’t care about words! And yet he was listened and had great authority, because he confirmed his words with the testimony of his own life.

Undoubtedly, the Holy Spirit also confirms his words, by giving them a power of conviction that no human words had a power by itself. People were aware that they were standing before the prophet, that John was fulfilling a mission commissioned by God Himself. Very important was what he preached and the power with which he did it. Therefore, crowds flocked to him from afar, even though his words were certainly not flattery. But the truth, even when it is hard, is more attractive than empty flattery.

The Jews did not understand the essence of their faith or the heritage of Abraham. They considered the mere fact of belonging to the Jewish nation, and thus to the descendants of Abraham, to be a sufficient guarantee of salvation, and even a reason to be proud and a title to various privileges.

Meanwhile, the descent from Abraham not only does not determine anything, but also obliges. Abraham was justified on the basis of his radical and unconditional faith. Abraham’s inheritance is above all a commitment to faith, to total trust and obedience to God. Many understood and fulfilled this, but there were also those who considered this noble vocation and the dignity of the child of Abraham as circumstances exempting them from personal efforts of faith for the sake of external appearances of religious life.

This is why John the Baptist placed so much emphasis on the authenticity of conversion. It was the only chance to return to God. If even this act were to be reduced to formalities and appearances, then there would be no salvation left for a man. And the conversion will be authentic if it bears fruit in the form of a change of life attitude. Baptism with water was only a sign of repentance: it expressed the desire of man to lead his life differently. The baptism of Christ announced by John was supposed to have and has a real power of purification: if a man with humility and faith humbles himself before Jesus, then the action of the Holy Spirit, like fire, will cleanse us of human weaknesses and faults, and make us perfect before God.

Second Sunday of Advent (A) – December 4, 2022 Read More »