Jesus said to the crowds:
“To what shall I compare this generation?
It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance,
we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’
For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said,
‘He is possessed by a demon.’
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’
But wisdom is vindicated by her works.” (Matthew 11:16-19)
Jesus and John the Baptist seem so unlike each other in today’s gospel. They are related, as our readings next week tell us. Son of Zachariah and Elizabeth, John is six months older than Jesus, Luke reckons in his gospel. We wonder how close they were as children growing up.
John is the first to begin a ministry, in the fierce wilderness of the Jordan Valley where he preaches and baptizes pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River as he begins his ministry in Galilee in the towns along the Sea of Galilee.
Then, they seem to part ways. Even as they do, John offers Jesus two of his own disciples, Peter and Andrew. Their only contact afterwards, however, seems to be through messengers.
Both preach a message of repentance, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Matthew 3.2; 4,17). Both call for people to change, but Jesus’ message contains a surprising mercy not found in John’s preaching:
“When John speaks of the One who is to come, he is thinking of an executor of divine judgment, not so much of him through whom God’s mercy and love are made visible. He expects the kingdom of God to arrive in a storm of violence, in the immediate future, with the Messiah’s first appearance… From what we know of his preaching, he seems transfixed by the vision of the judgment and finds nothing to say about the salvation the Messiah will bring.” ( Rudolf Schnackenberg Christian Existence in the New Testament, Volume 1, University of Notre Dame 1968, p 39)
“The ax is ready to cut down the tree that bears no fruit,” John says. Repentance dominates his message. I think of him as a drill sergeant readying troops for the coming battle.
Jesus urges repentance too, but with a tenderness and compassion not found in John. “Go tell John what you hear and see…” he says to messengers John sends. The blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, the dead are raised.
Jesus reveals God’s mercy, not only through his many miracles, but also in his teaching. Think of the stories of the prodigal son, the lost sheep, the thief on the Cross– signs of God’s mercy, God’s patient mercy.
You must take a desert road, John says in his preaching. You must take up your cross and follow me, Jesus says, but again, the way’s not hard–his yoke is easy, his burden light.
Jesus doesn’t dismiss John. There’s none born of woman greater that he, Jesus says. John has integrity, he’s not swayed by what other people think or say, not swayed by public opinion or the fear of failure, or sickness, or deprivation, or death. He’s not swayed by winds good or bad. His face is turned to God, his ears hear God’s word, his voice speaks what he hears.
In our 2018 pastoral letter, “Open Wide Our Hearts,” we lamented the impact of immigration raids and mass deportations in which even those who are U.S. citizens have been caught up and deported, noting: “Today, many Hispanics are often assumed to be in this country illegally. These attitudes of cultural superiority, indifference, and racism need to be confronted; they are unworthy of any follower of Christ.”
We consistently reaffirm what the church has always taught: that every human person is created in the image and likeness of God, the imago Dei, and that the dignity of the human person does not depend on a particular legal status, nationality or occupation. We also recognize that promoting public order and upholding the rule of law are necessary endeavors, especially because these measures help guard against trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
Today, however, we see aggressive approaches to immigration enforcement that inflict harm on our sisters and brothers, sometimes restricting their ability to work, live and worship in arbitrary ways. Many citizens and lawful residents have reported being detained by methods that blur the line between legitimate enforcement and discriminatory profiling. This climate of fear makes our neighbors hesitant to go to work, to attend Mass or to visit loved ones.
In light of this, we must ask again: Who is my neighbor? The answer, as always, is found in Christ. He calls us to see with the eyes of mercy, to walk with those who suffer and to build a society rooted in justice and love. As disciples, we cannot remain indifferent. We are called to advocate for a just and meaningful immigration reform that respects human dignity, upholds due process and promotes the common good.
Let us follow the example of Our Lady of Guadalupe and stand in solidarity with those who live in fear, as a testament to God’s abiding peace. Let us be beacons of Christ’s light, filled with compassion and courage. Let us raise our voices in support of a meaningful reform of our immigration system, one that recognizes, as the U.S. bishops reaffirmed last month, that ensuring national security and safeguarding human dignity are not in conflict. Let us reject dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement. And let us never grow weary in the Gospel call to love without condition.
May the Lord, who is close to the brokenhearted, strengthen us in this mission. And may we, as one body of Christ, never forget who our neighbors are (Ps 34:19).
Bishop Robert Brennan of Brooklyn, NY
December 12th is the feast of Our Lady Guadalupe, which recalls the appearance of Mary on a hilltop near Mexico City to Juan Diego, a humble Mexican laborer, in 1591, ten years after the Aztec Empire was crushed by the colonial armies of Spain. Mary appeared dark skinned, with native features and in native dress, not at all like someone from the colonial powers. In appearing like them, Mary helped many of the native peoples accept Christianity.
Keep this story in mind when the next discussion on immigration comes up.It’s a strong reminder of Isaiah’s ancient call in our Advent readings: God wishes all to be his children.
Pope John Paul II said this about St. Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, whose feast is celebrated December 9th:
“He has lifted up the humble. God the Father looked down onto Juan Diego, a simple Mexican Indian and enriched him not just with the gift of rebirth in Christ but also with the sight of the face of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a role in the task of evangelizing the entire continent of America. From this we can see the truth of the words of St Paul: those whom the world thinks common and contemptible are the ones that God has chosen – those who are nothing at all to show up those who are everything.
“This fortunate man, whose name, Cuauhtlatoatzin, means “the eagle that speaks,” was born around 1474 in Cuauhtitlan, part of the kingdom of Texcoco. When he was an adult and already married, he embraced the Gospel and was purified by the waters of baptism along with his wife, setting out to live in the light of faith and in accordance with the promises he had made before God and the Church.
“In December 1531, as he was travelling to the place called Tlaltelolco, he saw a vision of the Mother of God herself, who commanded him to ask the Bishop of Mexico to build a church on the site of the vision. The bishop asked him for some proof of this amazing event.
“On 12 December the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Juan Diego once more and told him to climb to the top of the hill called Tepeyac and pick flowers there and take them away with him. It was impossible that any flowers should grow there, because of the winter frosts and because the place was dry and rocky. Nevertheless Juan Diego found flowers of great beauty, which he picked, collected together in his cape, and carried to the Virgin. She told him to bring the flowers to the bishop as a proof of the truth of his vision. In the bishop’s presence Juan Diego unfolded his cape and poured out the flowers; and there appeared, miraculously imprinted on the fabric, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which from that moment onwards became the spiritual centre of the nation.
“The church was built in honor of the Queen of Heaven. Juan Diego, moved by piety, left everything and dedicated his life to looking after this tiny hermitage and to welcoming pilgrims. He trod the way to sanctity through love and prayer, drawing strength from the eucharistic banquet of our Redeemer, from devotion to his most holy Mother, from communion with the holy Church and obedience to her pastors. Everyone who met him was overwhelmed by his virtues, especially his faith, love, humility, and other-worldliness.
“Juan Diego followed the Gospel faithfully in the simplicity of his daily life, always aware that God makes no distinction of race or culture but invites all to become his children. Thus it was that he enabled all the indigenous peoples of Mexico and the New World to become part of Christ and the Church.”
Pope John Paul II
“Like” is a word that appears in today’s readings, as it does over and over in the scriptures. Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ Mt 11:16
Is only his generation like children on the street competing with one another, arguing with one another, or is our generation like children as well?
Isaiah, the master poet, can’t speak without the word “like.” If you listen to God, our Teacher, he says in today’s reading:
“ Your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains.”
The prophet cannot speak of the mystery of God and his promises without going to. the dictionary of creation to say what God is like.
Our responsorial psalm today also use that word:
“The one who follows you, Lord, will have the light of life.
and be like a tree planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers. “
“Like” is a word that approximates another reality. It’s the closest we can get to some truth beyond us, especially the mystery of God. The call to care for creation today is more than a call to invent better technology. It’s a call to learn from creation again about what God is like.
We’re placing poinsettias and wreathes in our homes and churches, and figures of the Child, Mary and Joseph. We search for words and ways to understand the mystery we celebrate, but in the end they are all “like”. That’s what we have till we see.
In our reading today at Mass Second Isaiah says that God provides trees for the exiles making their way to Jerusalem from Bablyon. The way through the desert and mountains will be watered and a variety of trees will grow to cool them from the sun and sustain them night and day. The cedar, the acacia, the cypress, the plane tree and the pine– nature will serve them as they go on.
The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain,
their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the LORD, will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.
I will open up rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the broad valleys;
I will turn the desert into a marshland,
and the dry ground into springs of water.
I will plant in the desert the cedar,
acacia, myrtle, and olive;
I will set in the wasteland the cypress,
together with the plane tree and the pine,
That all may see and know,
observe and understand,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.
We have a wonderful variety of trees in our monastery garden here in Jamaica. I can count almost 40 different kinds. The most recent some apple trees, plum trees, maples, oaks, and evergreens. Trees will help us as climate changes in the years ahead.
“Learn from the fig tree and the other trees,” Jesus said. Like the human race, trees come in many sizes, shapes and colors. They’re all God’s creation, and so are we. We all belong; we all have our place here on God’s earth.
Since1931 there’s been a Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City. It started when some workers pooled their money and decorated a tree with simple home decorations. Last year’s tree had 50,000 LED lights.
People line up to see it every year. They say that during the pandemic a few years ago people wanted live trees for the holidays and busily bought them out..They were “seeking comfort in the conifers.” We are busily putting up trees ourselves now, They bring comfort as the days get darker.
When the Laurentine Glacier receded from our land here in Queens, NY, about 12,000 years ago, the first trees to grow were the evergreens. Are the evergreens a sign of hope? Is that why we treasure them? Certainly Christians from northern Europe saw them that way when they gave us the Christmas Tree centuries ago. The tree is a sign of Christ our hope, a sign of life.
I find myself visiting these two evergreens in our garden these days. The other trees are leafless, asleep. These still stand, signs that life can go in the cold.
Bless the tree in your house for the season. Here’s a blessing prayer.
In yesterday’s first reading for Advent, Second Isaiah repeats to the exiles in Babylon words he hears from God: “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” In today’s gospel reading Jesus says:“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.” A favorite reading for so many of us.
Notice Jesus speaks to the “crowds” in Matthew’s gospel, not just to the disciples who know him, or the Jewish Christian church Matthew wrote for at the end of the first century. God’s love and God’s promises reach far beyond the circle of disciples or the church. Jesus Christ came to refresh the world that labors and is burdened, even if it doesn’t know him.
Second Isaiah in today’s readings appeals to Jewish exiles to remember the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth. Do not to abandon God for the Babylon’s gods who are too small, he tells them and us all.
“To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One…
Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.”
God still holds us in his hands, sustains and comforts us, even if we do not know him or seem to care. God’s Spirit does not faint or grow weary
In our readings for Advent today Second Isaiah calls out to exiles in Babylon to come home. “Look, God your shepherd is coming, in his arms “he holding the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, leading the ewes with care.” The gospel tells us Jesus is the shepherd who comes leading the flock and holding in his arms the sheep that have strayed. Our Old Testament readings. especially in its first weeks, are taken from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. The gospel readings these first weeks are chosen particularly to amplify the meaning of Isaiah. We see that in today’s readings.
Our responsorial psalm amplifies that further: God the powerful shepherd is coming, not only leading Jewish exiles, but all nations in exile. God brings about a universal salvation. So “Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and what fills it resound; let the plains be joyful and all that is in them! Then let all the trees of the forest rejoice.”
We’re reading from Second Isaiah all this week. Scholars say that readings from the 40th chapter of Isaiah on come, not from Isaiah the priest who spoke in Jerusalem about the year 587 when Assyrian armies destroyed Jerusalem, but from an unknown prophet speaking in Babylon to Jewish exiles about 60 years later, urging them to return to Jerusalem. Perhaps he uses Isaiah’s name and language to avoid trouble with Babylonian’s leaders for suggesting such a thing .
Historians say that not many Jews returned to Jerusalem at his call. Some did, but others were not interested in the prophet’s invitation. They had become acculturated; Babylon’s now their home. They have families and jobs there; Jerusalem is far away and its future uncertain.
They’re the stray sheep Second Isaiah addresses. Like Jesus he’s searching for the strays.
We need to study Judaism more fully as a template for our own church today, Walter Brueggemann, the Lutheran Old Testament scholar says, especially the mystery of Exile.
“The metaphor of exile may be useful to American Christians as a way of understanding the social context of the church in American culture. The exile of the contemporary American church is that we are bombarded by definitions of reality that are fundamentally alien to the gospel, definitions that come from the military-industrial-scientific empire which may be characterized as ‘consumer capitalism.’” (Hopeful Imagination: Prophetic Voices in Exile, Fortress Press 1987)
At the time of Second Isaiah the Jews were singing the songs of Babylon, not the songs of Zion. What songs are we singing? The Good Shepherd still goes in search of his strays.
Here’s Handel’s beautiful remembrance:
We celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary December 8, 9 months before celebrating her birth September 7. Her feast also takes place, appropriately, in the early weeks of Advent, as we prepare for the birth of her Son.
Pope Pius IX proclaimed the Immaculate Conception of Mary a dogma of faith in 1854. The feast became a solemn feast in the church calendar of the Roman Catholic Church 9 years later.
Did Christians before then reflect on and celebrate this mystery? Yes, they did. Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ, and from the beginning Christians asked who she was and what was her role in the mystery of Jesus.
Christians never thought of Mary as someone no different than anyone else.
She brought Jesus Christ into the world and with Joseph of Nazareth raised him as a child. She had an important part in his first miracle in Cana in Galilee. She witnessed his life and kept “all these things in her heart.” She stood by Jesus on his cross and saw him die. After his resurrection she joined his followers making him known to the world. She was “full of grace” and “blessed among women.”
The gospel writers depended on Mary’s words as they wrote of her Son. From earliest times, ordinary Christians honored her. Christians flocking to the Holy Land found her in the places where Jesus was born, where he taught and died and rose again. They took her as their guide, for she knew him best of all.
They prayed to her and asked for her intercession.
Before any doctrinal formula, then, Christians knew that Jesus “was born of the Virgin Mary.” She had a key place in their faith.
What was her role in God’s plan? The readings at Mass for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception tell us. The first reading for her feast from the Book of Genesis invites us to see her in the story of Adam and Eve. Just as her Son became the new Adam, Mary was the new Eve, “mother of all the living.” (Genesis 3: 5-6,20)
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,” blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in heaven, choosing us in Him before the world was even created.” God blessed Mary with special blessings for her unique role in the mystery of our Redemption, the second reading for her feast says. (Ephesian 1:3-6, 11-12)
God created her as a “worthy dwelling for his Son” and “placed her above all others to be for your people an advocate of grace and a model of holiness.” (Preface for the Mass)
An angel presented her with that unique role. “ Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” “Be it done to me according to your word,” Mary answered. (Luke 1:26-38) She needed great faith, and God gave her great faith. She followed her Son sharing his Cross. She shared in the glory of his resurrection.
After consulting the faithful, Pope Pius IX solemnly proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854: “We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin” (Ineffabilis Deus, 1854)
In the church’s Office of Readings for her feast St. Anselm, exploring Mary’s role as “mother of all the living”, speaks of her relationship to all creation:
Blessed Lady, sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night – everything that is subject to the power or use of man – rejoice that through you they are in some sense restored to their lost beauty and are endowed with inexpressible new grace. All creatures were dead, as it were, useless for men or for the praise of God, who made them. The world, contrary to its true destiny, was corrupted and tainted by the acts of men who served idols. Now all creation has been restored to life and rejoices that it is controlled and given splendour by men who believe in God.
The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness. Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy. These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary’s womb.
Through the fullness of the grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new. Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.
Lady, full and overflowing with grace, all creation receives new life from your abundance. Virgin, blessed above all creatures, through your blessing all creation is blessed, not only creation from its Creator, but the Creator himself has been blessed by creation.
To Mary God gave his only-begotten Son, whom he loved as himself. Through Mary God made himself a Son, not different but the same, by nature Son of God and Son of Mary. The whole universe was created by God, and God was born of Mary. God created all things, and Mary gave birth to God. The God who made all things gave himself form through Mary, and thus he made his own creation. He who could create all things from nothing would not remake his ruined creation without Mary.
God, then, is the Father of the created world and Mary the mother of the re-created world. God is the Father by whom all things were given life, and Mary the mother through whom all things were given new life. For God begot the Son, through whom all things were made, and Mary gave birth to him as the Saviour of the world. Without God’s Son, nothing could exist; without Mary’s Son, nothing could be redeemed.
Truly the Lord is with you, to whom the Lord granted that all nature should owe as much to you as to himself.
The Victor's Place 
