Christmas Day 2022 Sermon

Christmas Day 2022 Salvation

Salvation means the reversal of whatever is wrong and making it right.

The blind see, the lame walk, the evil repent. Even nature can turn from arid to fertile, hostile to friendly.

The moral sphere is the most important - sinners become saints.

But the saving work of God can be seen at all levels. Whatever the problem He will bring us closer to Himself, the source of all goodness and right order.

Everything from finding a lost object to the salvation of souls, God has it in His nature to heal, to bless, to restore.

He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.(Ps 147, 3)

He casts down the mighty from their thrones, and raises the lowly (Lk 1,52)

I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh (Ez 36,26)

Salvation goes on all year. At Christmas we focus a little more as we contemplate the Crib scene and the peace and order which emanate from there.

Christmas is partly celebrating what we already have in the way of salvation, and partly praying for what still needs to happen. The world is still sadly short of where it could be in receiving the Saviour in its midst.

Those who have faith cannot rest out of complacency or despair.

Complacency is thinking all the necessary work is done; there is nothing left for us to worry about.

Despair is thinking that we are beyond salvation; there is no way out of here for the human race.

We keep pressing on, to bring the knowledge of Christ to all of creation.

Many do not know where to look for salvation. There are many false turnings and dead ends. Only in Jesus Christ can salvation be achieved.

We cannot do this without Him. With Him, however, we can do much, and we must do that which falls to us.

Salvation is God's initiative, but does need our responsiveness. It is a gift that must be opened,

Mercy is not forced on us, but is there as long as there is daylight left to us.

We seek by our prayer, good works, good example, to bring others to where they can be healed of whatever ails them; whatever is out of place to its proper place.

The Church at the human level does not always give the best example, but it is Christ we proclaim, not ourselves.

If He is sought after then there will be abundant blessings in all directions.

For whatever reason we might not ask, but if we would persevere there would be a flood of grace and mercy.

We call down mercy first of all; then a change of heart for each person; then that those who do experience God's mercy will be willing to make Him known to others.

Those He touches will be his disciples. We can assume that all those people Jesus healed would have lived better lives as a result.

We still pray for other things of moment, such as protection from fire and flood, and a hundred other evils.

And peace on earth, the weapons to be used for peaceful purposes (swords into ploughshares).

The Crib scene strikes us with its peaceful appearance. Everyone in that scene was striking the right note. There was no ego, no competitiveness; only goodwill to all.

This is how we are invited to respond. Bury our grudges and our pride; put away the desire for revenge, the quest for earthly riches and recognition.

We empty ourselves to be refilled with something better.

In a word, salvation changes us for the better, and so for all who seek it.

 

 

4th Sunday of Advent 18 Dec 2022 Sermon

 4^th Sunday of Advent 18 December 2022 Incarnation

 And the word was made flesh…. And dwelt amongst us.

 And became man.

 These phrases are familiar to us, perhaps too familiar insofar as we could take them for granted, without appreciating their massive importance.

 As often as we say those words we must never allow ourselves to forget the enormity that they contain.

 Given who God is, and who we are, we can say with the psalm, what is man that you should make so much of him…You have made him little less than the angels. (Ps 8,4-5).

 It is one thing that God would even  create us, when He had no need of us. God is perfectly happy within Himself.

 We understand that He wants to share His glory with us. Like a rich man opening up the grounds to the peasants and then feeding them. He takes pleasure in their pleasure.

 But rich men are not likely to want to become poor; they give from their excess. It does not bother them much because they still have so much left over.

And the rich are even less likely to take on the punishment due to the sins of others.

This is what God the Son did, when He came down from Heaven.

He did not have to come at all. If He did come he did not have to become man; He could have simply acted out of His divinity, and pardoned us without actually dying in our place.

It seems that God must love us a great deal to put Himself to such trouble.

Many are scandalized by the assertion that God would do this, and they therefore deny the divinity of Christ. They will say he was a good man, but no more.

However, God can do as He decides, and it is not necessary or helpful for us to dispute His actions.

He became Man without ceasing to be God. He has from the moment of His conception been both God and Man, and this is a fundamental belief to being a Christian.

By becoming Man He upgrades human nature, purifying it and raising it to a higher standard.

As Man He can do all the things which we were meant to do, but cannot unless we are freed from our sins.

For example, As Man He can love God with perfection of heart and mind. He can love neighbour without the usual restraints we would put on that obligation.

He understands the mind of God much more clearly than we would otherwise be able to do.

He can draw down the power of God to intervene in human affairs, eg working miracles.

He has restored human nature to the favour it had before the sin of Adam

He can claim a place in Heaven which was always God's desire that we could share.

He has perfect control over His human will, which is always in perfect union with the Father, whereas we struggle to keep our will on course.

He gives us a focal point as we come out of this struggle. Submit our wills to His and we have great peace.

All this is what He did and why He did it. At Christmas we celebrate that His coming to birth in humble circumstances was a major step along the way of our restoration to God's favour.

Christmas gives us great hope, and at the same time a lesson in humility. If we are to share in the new humanity of Christ we must imitate His humility.

We see ourselves as life-long disciples, with so much to learn. We take every chance to draw from the humanity of Christ and so share in His divinity.

3rd Sunday of Advent 11 Dec 2022 Sermon

3^rd Sunday of Advent 11 December 2022 Finding joy

When important people are scheduled to give a speech, usually they will be introduced by someone who will also have some importance, but less than the main speaker.

So it could be said with John and Jesus, that John was good enough to be the main event, but he could see, if the people could not, that the One coming after was much greater.

It gives honour to the main person to build up a little expectancy. John takes this role with Our Lord, especially as to the moral and spiritual side of events.

The Messiah was to be above all, a good person, extremely so; more so than people would have been expecting.

The main solution to all Israel’s troubles was to be found in the spiritual domain, not the political or economic.

If they would repent; if they would live holy lives; then they would be free of slavery to other powers, beginning with evil, the worst slavery.

Even such great figures as John and Jesus had difficulty reaching the common person with this teaching. It has ever been a challenge for the Church to pass this message to the world.

If John was the introducer and Jesus the celebrity then we are the ‘audience’, inspired to go out and tell others.

The others may not want to know, however! People can be cynical and complacent. Cynical, insofar as not committing to any particular form of truth. Complacent, insofar as not admitting any serious need of repentance.

We tell them anyway. Not just in our own strength, but combined as the Church.

We have different gifts, and between us we have them all. (cf 1 Cor 12,4-11).

All of us have a job to do, part of which will be that we make God present by the way we live. A demanding role.

If we are to make any impact we must live pure and dedicated lives like John, so that people will see in us something worth imitating.

We are not only attempting to reach individuals, but from that to achieve a cleansing effect in our whole society – all the social and moral evils which we lament. In Advent imagery there is barren land which suddenly turns green. Sin causes death and decay; holiness restores life, fruit, and beauty.

We must shed what remains of our own cynicism and complacency.

As to cynicism, we still believe in goodness, in right living, in the power of Christ to bring this about in any who will call on Him.

As to complacency, we will not settle for less than the best in our response to Him.

This is why John the Baptist stood out so strongly, because he pushed himself to the limit in the task that he had.

If enough of us would do that, and for long enough, the whole orientation of the world would be turned towards God. Presently the world denies or ignores God but this can change.

In today’s epistle, we are told to be joyful, and hence the name for today – Gaudete Sunday.

We cannot be happy about everything, but let us say that every problem has a solution and that solution is coming.

If I am hungry but I know there is food coming, I still feel hungry, but I also feel a lot better knowing that the remedy is near at hand. This is our position.

Christ comes as the answer to every need, and we reaffirm our gratitude to Him and trust in Him.

Until He comes finally and fully He consoles us, and gives us at least smaller victories, as constant reminders of His presence.

Rejoice in the Lord, always.

2nd Sunday of Advent 4 Dec 2022 Sermon

2^nd Sunday of Advent 4 December 2022 Desires

Our faith requires a certain toughness. While we might prefer things to be easy and comfortable there is also in us a desire for challenge and achievement; and even to be disciplined, though it hurts sometimes.

We find we have conflicting desires much of the time. We do not always want the right thing in the right way.

We understand that everything would run much better if we did want the right things but our sinfulness confuses us.

It should not be as difficult as it is, but at least we know to what we are aspiring.

Ultimately we want to go to Heaven. What is so good about Heaven is that we can indulge the senses? No, it is to be in union with God.

There will be sensual enjoyment, no doubt, but there is more than that, waiting to be discovered.

At two years old we might be happy to play in the backyard. At twenty-two we would be bored by infantile games and seek other sources of entertainment.

At 42 or 62, probably different again.

Our tastes change and we learn as we go, so we can smile at our own limited understanding back years ago.

The same process can apply to how we are now, at whatever age. We are offered Heaven, and even in this life a fair slice of Heaven as we bring our lives under God’s authority.

The happiness being offered to us is much greater than we have ever experienced here, or could even imagine.

What made John the Baptist do what he did; to live so differently from other people around him? He could have been just one of the boys but chose to be separate, pursuing different goals.

He had discovered the precious pearl (Mt 13,45-46) and stayed with that all his life. Even in the womb he could rejoice at the coming of the Messiah (Lk1,44).

It takes the average person years to grasp this, if they ever do, but John was right onto it.

Like John we must stay on the right side of the argument. We can always set a straight course if we have not done so yet. Prepare ye the way.

The way to eternal life.

Instead of just trying for worldly happiness, as seen from our very limited perspective, we can go for a much bigger prize.

We cultivate our stance before God, our desire for Him, and knowledge of Him. As we do that we find we are less reliant on the worldly things, we probably thought we could never do without.

John the Baptist preferred penance to sensual delights.

Penance is the voluntary renunciation of permissible pleasures. It helps us to focus on other things besides what we can see right in front of us. It helps us to see beyond this life to the next, and adjust accordingly.

John would have been happier in the desert eating locusts than spending Friday night at the pub etc.

We get bored with the world, not in a depressive way but because we have found something better.

In the old quiz shows you could take your winnings and leave, or you could come back next week and try for higher prizes. This is our position. We must come back till we find God, and having done that we never let go.

We talk penance at the most hedonistic time of the year! We want happiness as much as anyone, only we know from the prophets and other saints that it cannot be found in this life alone. We set our sights for Heaven, our true home. 

 

 

1st Sunday of Advent 27 Nov 2022 Sermon

1^st Sunday of Advent 27 November 2022 Out of trouble

The liturgical year gives us a mixture of high and low points. We value the high points more, if we have reflected on where we would be without them. So we will enjoy Christmas more if we have been through Advent.

We need to know how much trouble we were in before we can celebrate getting out of that trouble. If we are lost, for example, we are glad when we see familiar landmarks.

The same applies in the spiritual life, though the need there may not be so evident.

One could be far from God, not in a state of grace, and that is certainly a form of trouble, but not necessarily one that the person recognizes.

It is possible, though very unwise, to live this earthly life as though we did not need God, as though all our happiness could be found here on earth.

We need a vision of reality that is broader than just the everyday running about. It would be a great pity if our lives just ended and there was nothing more to come. No redemption, no resurrection.

But there is a great deal more, and we find it in God. We have a deep need for Him and He is ready to supply that need.

In the Advent season we can ask ourselves: what if there were no Christmas? What if Christ never came? How desolate we would be.

But He did come, and we go back to that fact to regain faith, hope and charity.

We anticipate also His second coming, which will complete His glorious victory over sin and death.

People complain about God for not doing more to repair all that is wrong in the world.

He does act but just in different ways than we expect. There is often a clash of priorities. Not many people would be likely to identify union with God as their main need. Yet that is what God Himself would tell us.

God acts to bring people to believe in Him, to acknowledge Him as God, and themselves as humble servants; to focus on Him rather than their own problems.

Seek first the kingdom and all else will be provided for you (cf Mt 6,33).

Why is it so hard to see this? Sin obscures the vision and creates multiple distractions.

Too many cooks spoil the broth, they say. Well, in the faith world there are definitely too many cooks, all trying to tell God what to do, instead of humbly complying with what he wants.

God is able to work it all around even if we do not cooperate. But we here do want to cooperate, asking forgiveness, praying for everything good to happen, asking God to come and take over our hearts and minds.

He wants to help everyone, even those complaining, but on His terms. He wants to transform people to a state of kindness, mercy, gratitude, generosity and a host of related qualities.

Yes, the other troubles need attention too, but none of them is the worst problem. The worst problem is when people ignore God and make their own false gods.

We are in trouble but there is a solution, and we pursue that solution, all the while expressing gratitude that God gives us so many chances to get this right.

It is like we are rehearsing a play, and we can redo the scene if it is not working out.

All this is presupposed in our various prayers, Advent and otherwise. We are being saved; it is a process which we depend upon and can help to make it work.

Come, Lord Jesus.