         
Pastor's Desk Archive    
2008 Pastor's Desk Arch.            
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Pastor's Desk Archive (November 2008)Advent And Christmas (11/2/2008) Advent And Christmas (11/2/2008)In case you hadn’t noticed, the commercial Xmas season has already reared its ugly head. Once again the sirens of merchandise of every kind are calling out our names, urging us not to cut back on our Xmas shopping. “So much depends on it”, they cry. “Think of the jobs you’ll save by buying lots and lots of presents.” “Give less to the church”, they shout, “but spend, spend, spend.” Now I like presents as much as anyone else, but when Christmas is reduced to its commercial aspects, we run the risk of tossing its true meaning out with the used ribbons and wrappings. So this column is intended as a pre-emptive strike or an early warning shot urging everyone who believes they truly know the reason for the season to do their best to celebrate this Advent and Christmas with the Church. For faithful followers of Christ, the Twelve Days of Christmas begin on December 24th and extend through the Feast of the Epiphany which falls on January 4th next year. Does this mean missing out on the much longer Xmas season which begins no later than the day after Thanksgiving and ends on December 25th? There’s almost no way we can do that because almost everywhere we go we will keep bumping into it. Nonetheless, the Church offers us the season of Advent so that we can get some more practice in waiting in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Yes, Advent can be understood as a metaphor for the longing for God which characterize the life of those who know very well that we have not here a lasting home. So why not take a little time this week to think about what the next two months would look like if we give a higher priority to Advent and Christmas and a much lower priority to commercial Xmas. You might even save some money at a time when doing that is a better idea than ever. Election Perspective (11/9/2008)Below are TEN THINGS that are just as true following the election as they were before:
So, cheer up. America has survived all its presidents, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because of the historic significance of this election, the eyes of the whole world are looking at us. Take heart that presidents don’t always govern as they campaigned. While campaign events can be staged, day to day events in the real world cannot. September 11th is but one grim reminder of this axiom. We haven’t been the same since. Since we have only one president, and since no one governs God’s people without his consent, we should pray that Barack Obama will be open to the guidance of our Creator. Saint Paul has directed us to pray fervently for all our leaders. In that light, may God bless our president-elect and his family. And may God continue to bless America. The Economy (11/16/2008)Day after day for the past two months or more, the media has been focusing on the latest bad news about the economy. The precipitous decline in the stock market has put a serious dent in people’s investment and retirement accounts. As 401K’s have morphed into 101K’s, many people are understandably nervous about their financial well-being. The decline in real estate values in many parts of the country has savaged the banking industry leading to mergers, bankruptcies, and federal rescues. Unemployment figures are expected to rise to record levels to the point that many people who were not long ago secure in their positions are now getting worried. Manufacturers and retailers are scrambling to see how they can remain viable. Some economic forecasters are even using the dreaded “D Word”. With all of this doom and gloom, perhaps we can’t be surprised that many are crying “the sky is falling, the sky is falling!” So, given all of this, were you able to make any sense of the “Parable of the Talents” in today’s Gospel passage? There’s a very simple and vital lesson to be learned by those who have ears to hear and eyes to see. Unfortunately, it’s so simple that many might have missed it. Here it is: For those who are seeking to live in the kingdom of God, prosperity results from accepting gratefully whatever God gives us and doing what it takes to make it grow. Or as Forrest Gump might have put it: “rich is as rich does.” When we look at people who have built monetary fortunes, we can see that most of them work very hard at putting those fortunes to work not only for themselves but for the good of many. Think of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. Sure, they are very rich, but they are also incredibly generous philanthropists. But no one has to amass a fortune in order to be truly prosperous. All we have to do is acknowledge that we are children of the King of the Universe so that we can share in God’s happiness in the many ways He blesses us. But some folks are afraid of God. They focus in on the slings and arrows of life’s misfortunes and seek to play it safe. They don’t see God as the source of every good thing and so they rely on themselves. They think of what they have as belonging to them to do with as they wish. They seek to acquire things that will make them happy and often end up in financial calamity. They blame God and others for their misfortunes and find themselves living on the sidelines. In the worst case scenarios, they end up losing what little they had to begin with. I say let’s pray for bountiful and generous hearts. Let us build the City of God and begin right here at St. Andrew’s. An Opportunity To Move Beyond Our Wants (11/23/2008)I’ve read and heard that a lot of people are working themselves into a frenzy worrying about the impact the nation’s economic woes may have on them in the months and years to come. I’m certainly not surprised since we place so much emphasis in our society on the importance of financial security. No one is to be faulted for being concerned about their financial well being. However, although there’s very little we can actually do, as individuals, about the fate of the American automobile industry, or the banking and mortgage industry, or the stock market, there is something we can do: We can count our blessings and give thanks to God! I’ve learned that gratitude is a powerful antidote for just about all that ails us. One of the things I’m most grateful for is God’s Word. St. Paul teaches powerfully that “there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God we have in Jesus Christ.” That would include, I would think, economic woes and fears. Don’t we often sing the refrain of Psalm 23: “Shepherd me, O God, from all my wants, from all my fears, from death into life.” If God is for us, who can be against us? Next Sunday is New Year’s Day for Catholics around the world. This first Sunday of Advent gives all of us an opportunity to acknowledge that all that we have and all that we offer comes from a heart both frightened and free. Some might think that in a time of such economic uncertainty, we ought not to be seeking financial commitments in our Sacrificial Giving Renewal. What better time could there be to plant a seed of faith by indicating that we will set aside between five and ten percent of our earthly treasure regardless of whether that treasure grows or declines in the months ahead. After all, Christ has promised that those of us who have been entrusted with much will keep obtaining more until we grow rich. Thursday, we shall be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. Let’s truly be grateful and ask God to continue to pour out his blessing upon us! Advent: A Season For Waiting In Joyful Hope (11/30/2008)It is not YET the season to be jolly—that will get underway soon enough. Nor is this a season that revolved around visits to department store Santas. Nor is this the season in which we need to be displaying Christmas lights and trees. As Catholics, we have a liturgical year that gives a special place to both Advent and Christmas. Our Christmas begins on December 24th and extends through January 6th—the traditional 12 Days of Christmas. Advent begins today and ends on the morning of December 24th. There is, however, a period of eight days proceeding Christmas in which Catholics may begin to anticipate the Birth of Our Savior with tree trimming and light hanging. So, how do we observe the season of Advent as faithful Catholics while nearly everyone else is acting as if its already Christmas? First of all, we can spend a little time in prayer to ask God to keep before us the true meaning of the season. Are we preparing for the annual celebration of the birthday of our savior, or for the great “gift exchange” which has little to do with that birth? If we are open to doing this, we could also take another look at the whole Santa Claus story. Sure, it’s a great story, one that delighted us and countless children. We don’t tell children that the Easter Bunny is real, do we? No, they know him as a fictional character that has nothing to do with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Why couldn’t Santa be demoted to a fictional character that has nothing to do with the Savior’s birth? He could still be fun and we could still get some nice pictures, but why not be honest about where the presents come from? Then we could speak to children about Jesus as the gift that God gave us on the first Christmas in Bethlehem. We could then tell them that we exchange gifts on Christmas because of our gratitude for God’s Gift. That is why we give gifts, isn’t it? That makes a nice subject for reflection during Advent, don’t you think? In addition to providing us time to prepare for the Savior’s first coming at Bethlehem, Advent is also the season to look forward to the second coming of our Savior at the end of time. In the Mass, following the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to protect us from all fear and anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is a great challenge for us if we are constantly focusing on material things and possessions. During Advent we can at least pray to become less attached to our “stuff”. If we will accept God’s help to loosen our grip on the things of this world, we will be more likely to consider Christ’s coming again as a really good thing. Happy New Year! |
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