Presentation of the Lord

Have you ever been invited to a Baptism? It's my experience, many baptisms never start on time. You sit in the pew waiting for the parents to enter the Church. You look down at your watch and ask, “Why are they late?” Five minutes pass, ten minutes later, the doors of the Church open and the parents come running in late. The wife blames the husband and the husband blames the new born. You get what I’m saying, yet everything changes when you see the new born child. Just imagine waiting a life time of prayer, fasting and anticipating the Christ child.

In today's Gospel (Luke 2:22-40), we read about the elderly man name Simeon. Simeon was a righteous man. It was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ the Lord. When Simeon saw the Christ child, he burst into tears of joy and praise. Everything Changed.

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all the people: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel.”

Simeon was absolutely sure that the Lord Jesus was coming. What confidence and perseverance Simeon had, to wait a life time to see the Christ child. As the years passed, Simeon’s faith grew that the birth of Savior was near. Simeon expected the Lord to come at any moment. We have all experienced this feeling of waiting; remember what it was like to wait for Christmas morning. We could not wait to open our presents. The excitement, anticipation was unbearable. Imagine now, knowing that the Savior was coming closer each day. Then it happens, your eyes see the Savior. A door in your heart opens inside your soul.

Has your life changed when you witnessed the Christ child? Did we accept that encounter or did we reject it? Maybe we rejected the moment because we were not ready? Are we waiting a lifetime like Simeon for that encounter? Do we have the gift of perseverance? Are we looking for Christ with our eyes, or are we blinded by our pride. Pride is my biggest obstacle. I ask St. Simeon to intercede on our behalf that we can open our eyes and hearts to see the Christ child.

St. Simeon, Pray for us!

Bernard of Clairvaux

Fishers of Men

This weeks Gospel Matthew 4:12-23 brings us to the   very beginning of Jesus’s ministry. Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee and saw two Fishermen. These two men were Peter and Andrew. Jesus called out to them and said  Follow me and I will make you “Fishers of men.”  Immediately, they dropped their nets and followed.  Soon after that he saw two more men. These men were brothers  John and James. They were also fishers.  He called to them  and they immediately followed too. As I read this gospel I  Asked myself what  it must have been like to be in the physical presence of Jesus Christ himself. I ask myself how was it to see Jesus and instinctively know that you  were going to follow him for the rest of your life. The first 4 disciples were  fishers that  immediately  dropped whatever they were doing and  simply followed. Was Jesus’s presence that powerful that they knew who he was and that they had to follow? I wonder if I’d like be able to just pick up and go. Honestly speaking, I’m not 100 percent sure that I’d be able to drop everything and follow.  In my life I’ve struggled with my faith. At times my faith is rock solid and impossible to break. Then there are times when I lose my footing...There are days when having the faith of the disciples just doesn’t seem possible.  Days when the losses out weigh the wins and I simply don’t know if God is in my corner.   Have you ever had a day where you feel like you’re drowning in fear or sorrow or anxiety? I’ve had them. I will say that it’s on those days that I God sends a fisherman. A Fisherman to  save me from that drowning feeling.  A fisherman to remind me that tough times are when God is pulling you close.  There have been many times when I’m feeling a little down and a friend calls at just the right time with the right words. That’s when I’m reminded that God is still on my side.  Still growing me and my faith as he sees fit.  

 As we start off the year, I think it’s a great time to reflect on the past year and see what  we have done to be better followers of Christ.   Last year I was invited to join a group of men that wanted to write a blog. The purpose was to spread Gods word and possibly help some men grow in their faith. (At least thats what I thought). This group of bloggers decided to call the Blog “Fishers of Men”  So this weeks gospel is a special one.   To me, Fishers of men is a very powerful phrase. Fishing men out of the waters.  Maybe those waters are the waters of Baptism.  The waters that can cleanse a life and give you a another chance to do it right.  A new life in Christ.  Maybe  as Christians we are all called to do just that.  Help each other see that trusting God with your life is the only way to really live.   Yes, we will have our moments of weakness but if you keep a few fishermen in your life they will keep you a float.  It’s been close to a year of writing these reflections and   I can say that this process has helped me grow in my faith tremendously.  I am still working on myself but with the help of God and  my fellow fishermen I’m getting a little stronger  every week. I wish the same for you. 

Immersed

This week’s Gospel reading is John 1:29-34.  In the reading, John the Baptist explains that Jesus is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

I looked up the word “baptize”, and the origin is from the Greek word for “immerse”.  That makes sense.  Some denominations of Christianity still baptize with a complete immersion in water. 

I think that’s an important idea, that we be immersed in the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes people who want to learn a new language go to live in a country that speaks with that language to be “immersed” in the language.  There is no better way to learn that language.  I think it’s the same thing with the Holy Spirit; it helps to be immersed. 

So how do we do that?  How do we get immersed?  I only have suggestions, no real answers.  I would suggest the following. 

Read the word. 

Spend as much time as possible with our friends or loved ones, regardless of what we are doing with them.  “Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”  Going to pick up milk? Bring the kids.  Going to the DMV?  Ask your wife to go with you.  Going to a business meeting out of town?  Ask a friend if they want to take a road trip.  Much of life is errands and everyday stuff.  Be immersed in friends and love ones when you can.  The Holy Spirit loves a couple or a crowd.

Meditate on God when you’re falling asleep.  It’s better than counting sheep.

The particulars of what you do probably doesn’t matter as much as approaching life with a conscious effort to be immersed the active part of God, the Holy Spirit.  What does that mean to you?

- - The Older Brother

"Allow it now......"

Imagine if you will, a story about a great warrior king that humbly requested the consent of his subjects before engaging in some campaign, establishing a new policy or beginning a project. Would you believe a story that portrays for example Alexander the Great as requesting the consent of his would be subjects to rule over them? In fact, the opposite was true; Alexander sent 3,000 cavalry in response to the revolt of Thessaly forcing their surrender and by show of force brought Athens and Thebes into submission.

Not so with our Lord. Of course all power and dominion are His - He is after all the King of Kings. What surprises me about this week's Gospel is the line "......then he allowed Him." That is, John the Baptist allowed Jesus to be baptized by him. That doesn't seem right to me. Nothing about this seems "right." Scripture tells us that "people came to John the Baptist to be baptized by him acknowledging their sins," and yet we know that Jesus was sinless. Jesus, Son of God, was humbling Himself. He was modest and unassuming enough to make a request to a mere mortal man to perform a cleansing ritual on him in order to "fulfill all righteousness.”

But that is the way of our Lord, now, isn't it? He makes us participants in His mission, even though by rights, He does not need any help from us. He knocks at our doors, if you will,  and allows us to invite Him in or to ignore Him if we so Choose. If and when we accept the humble invitation, we fulfill righteousness because we enter into relationship with our God and become participants in His mission.

How is the Lord inviting you to share in His mission?

                                             + Theophilus

MT 2: 1-12 Gospel Reflection (1.5.20)   

This week’s readings personify additional messages, mysteries & promises from God.  When we delve into the Gospel, we witness the three, familiar wise men-kings.  Obviously, they are men of great prestige, traveling from what appears to be Asia & who have been given a divine mission to find & honor the newly born Christ child.  Interestingly, these are the first Gentiles invited into this part of Christian history to acknowledge & worship our savior. They first meet with King Herod; aka “that fox.” (LK: 13:32) who becomes paranoid when he is informed from them that a Jewish, child-king was born in the region he ruled over. (Matthew 2:3).  Herod reacts in a way that is consistent with many other men whose positions of power is threatened.  He plots, schemes & lies.  The message today will not give much attention to the fox, but rather about how God manifests Himself in this story. 

Many who travel encounter various road signs designed to keep us safe and to avoid danger (i.e., stop, slow down, yield one way, detour, etc.).  Before the wise men find the Christ-child, an evil plot has unfolded to eliminate the threat.  After prostrating themselves & offering gifts (Matthew 11.9-10), they receive a dream from an angel directing them to take an alternate route home & avoiding a planned “sit down” with the fox. It appears that God intervened by offering them a sign to detour them from danger.

   

In retrospection, I too have been given many signs & options through life.  What I continue to realize is that God has always been close to me; offering me detours throughout my journey home.  Some decisions made led to successful outcomes and safe passage; whereas others I refused, resulting in disappointment & failure.  What about you? Can you recall personal choices that resulted in both positive and negative endings?  Maybe signs that led you in other directions; away from more pain, suffering & distress?  (Exod. 3:12) 

As a young man, I drove a delivery truck & had to rely on a paper map to plot my route each day.  Today we have Global Positioning System (GPS) that makes it much easier to navigate our journeys without paper maps.  They direct us to make turns, tell us when to exit & re-route us to avoid traffic.  After reflecting on this scripture, I am always impressed with the faith that these first Gentiles exemplified by trusting a dream from an angel. Maybe it’s time to return to the old road map (Holy Bible) & use the limited time we have left to explore alternative paths that will re-route us back to our loving God?   Could it be & as we speak, that God is now detouring you away from certain hazards; redirecting you back home?  What signs are you encountering on your journey that are calling to you back to God?  Keep your eyes open & on the road, my brothers & sisters in Christ.  Happy New Year.  The Pilgrim