Category Archives: Passionists

A Christmas Crib

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These days as we prepare for Christmas, why not offer some prayers at the crib?

St. Francis of Assisi first popularized the Christmas manger. He wanted to see how Christ was born with his own eyes, and so he had a stable and some images made before Christmas and then invited his neighbors and friends to come and join him at his “Bethlehem.”

As we look on our manger, may the Christmas story unfold before our eyes, too.

Some reflections from the Gospel according to Luke:

In those days a decree was issued by the emperor Augustus for a census to be taken throughout the Roman world. This was the first Registration of its kind; it took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone made his way to his own town to be registered. Joseph went up to Judaea from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to register in the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house of David by descent; and with him went Mary, his betrothed, who was expecting her child.

The figures are then placed in the manger, and after a short period of quiet, the reading continues.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son, her first born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:1-7

O God,
whose mighty Son was born in Bethlehem
 long ago,

lead us to that same poor place 
where Mary laid her tiny Child,

a
nd as we look on in wonder and praise,

help us welcome him in all new life,

see him in the poor,

and care for his handiwork. 
the earth, the sky and the sea.

O God, bless us again in your great love.
We pray for this through Christ our Lord.
 Amen.

 

Tuesday, 4th Week of Advent

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Annunciation

“In the days of King Herod,” six months after Elizabeth conceived, the “Angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.”

One of St. Bernard’s most beautiful sermons reflects on this great moment:

“You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.

“The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.

“Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.

“Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.

” Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator.

“See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word.

Saturday, 3rd week of Advent

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December 17th the Advent season begins to focus on the infancy narratives, New Testament readings taken from the gospels of Matthew and Luke that deal with events immediately leading to the birth of Jesus. For the next week, they’ll prepare us for the celebration of the Christmas feasts.

Matthew and Luke do more than trace his Jewish ancestry back as far as they can go. The evangelists want to show to their gentile and Jewish readers that Jesus has worldwide roots; he’s not just a Jewish Messiah, though David the King is there.  His ancestors were exiles in Babylon as well as part of successive Jewish dynasties in Palestine. He had foreign blood from women like Tamar, Ruth and Bathsheba, all of whom have something questionable about them. Tamar became a prostitute to win Judah’s favor; Ruth honored many gods, Bathsheba was sexually involved with King David.

In his humanity, Jesus did not come only from Jewish royalty; he’s rooted in all humanity;  he has the blood of saints and sinners. He shares our DNA. He has “taken to himself our humanity, may he be pleased to share with us his divinity.” (Collect)

“Behold, the Desired of all nations will come, and the house of the Lord will be filled with his glory.” (Communion antiphon)

Readings here.  Homily here.

Thursday, 3rd week of Advent

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Tonight is the last evening of our mission at Holy Family in the Bahamas. During the week, I spoke about the three great witnesses of the Advent season: Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary of Nazareth. They prepare us to receive Jesus Christ.

Let’s remember the Prophet Isaiah again, and those who followed him. He tells us to remember God’s promises. They seem far beyond what we think possible and greater than we can imagine, but God promises to fulfill them in the world and in us.

The prophet speaks to those most likely to distrust, yet God wants them most to hear:  the poor, the sick, the blind, the lame, those wearied from the journey. He speaks tender words of comfort. His words to the barren woman in today’s reading are among his most beautiful.

John the Baptist is the voice in the wilderness. We’re to be that voice too. It’s far easier to speak God’s word in a church or in a temple than there. That’s why Jesus praised John, and why he praises all who are his voice in the wilderness. You may not be able to say much, but if you speak what you can and remain faithful to God in the wilderness that’s yours, God will bless you as God blessed John.

Finally, we reflected last night on Mary, the mother of Jesus.  You have a wonderful custom here in this parish at the end of daily Mass, I notice, of praying the Angelus, which recalls the coming of the angel to Mary and her response. That’s a mystery we share with her, and so we recall it each day to make it our own. “Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.”

Each day is important because the promises of Christ come to us day by day. They are not always obvious, so we must become aware of them. Like Mary, we question what they mean. For that reason, we enter that mystery that happened once in small, unnoticed Nazareth. The angel still comes and goes., and with Mary, we say each day “Be it done to me, according to your word.”

Emmaus Centre

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Crucifix, St.Anselm Church

Yesterday I gave a presentation on preaching to the priests, deacons and lay ministers from the Bahamas at Emmaus Retreat Center in Nassau. Like John the Baptist, by our “voice’ in preaching and catechesis we point out the Word.

Preaching and catechesis should be an expression of our “personal search for the face of the Lord,” to use Pope Benedict’s words. We should let the scripture readings, the liturgy, the seasons, as well as the life of the people give us the material for our preaching and catechesis.

Those participating were from the Bahamas, Haiti, India and North America, reflecting the Catholic population here.

Afterwards, Fr. Tom and I visited St. Anselm’s church with its pastor, Msgr. Preston Moss. Only two years old, the church is in one of the earliest villages on the island and reflects its traditions and art.

Archbishop Patrick Pinder and Passionists

St. Anselm Church

Wednesday, 3rd Week of Advent

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My community, the Passionists, have a custom of beginning our prayers from the Liturgy of the Hours with a short prayer derived from the first reading today from Isaiah, which is later appropriated to Jesus Christ by St. Paul:

“At the name of Jesus, every knee should bend, in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess to the glory of God the Father: Jesus Christ is Lord.”

We offer him praise from all creation, from everything that is. I like Isaiah’s description of  the creative power of God, which applies to Jesus, the Son:

“He is God,

the designer and maker of the earth

who established it,

not creating it to be a waste,

but designing it be lived in:

I am the LORD, and there is no other.”

Not only is the world made, but a design is there too.

Monday Night at the Mission

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I spoke this evening at our mission at Holy Family Church. How can we know Jesus Christ? Through the Scriptures.

What version would I recommend? I like the New American Bible because it’s the version closest to what we use in our liturgy and it’s got great notes. It’s also been recently revised to benefit from new bible manuscripts come to light, new archeological discoveries, and new historical and biblical scholarship.

A drawback of a version like the King James is that it stands still and doesn’t benefit from these advances. Fundamentalists would say it’s the Word of God and doesn’t need updating. The Catholic Church, on the other hand, welcomes the advance in understanding  and new biblical knowledge as advancing our knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Biblical fundamentalism, by its nature, neglects the gifts of reason. It’s a step backward.

One thing I noticed in the hymns we sang tonight in Holy Family is their rich scriptural base. They’re words from the bible, which are a step towards a biblical spirituality.

I reflected on two sections of Isaiah, the great prophet of Advent. His promise of the kingdom coming on God’s holy mountain seems so unrealistic, given the circumstances Jerusalem, God’s holy mountain, faced in his day. But Isaiah spoke of  a promise that comes from God who is with us, who teaches us to pray and live in hope for what’s beyond human power to bring about.

I also spoke of the spirituality of childhood, which calls us to be free from crippling anxieties, forgetful of injuries, sociable, and wonder at all things. At the pinnacle of God’s holy mountain Isaiah, and Jesus after him, places a Child.

The Catholic Church in the Bahamas

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One nice thing about preaching missions in different parts of the country and beyond is that you see the church beyond where you live. Here in the Bahamas there are about 50.000 Catholics in a population of about 314,000. There are 25 priests, 14 deacons and 12 religious sisters.

Significantly, the archdiocese has 4 high schools and 8 elementary schools.  Because of its investment in education, the church through it members and those it has educated, has an important role in the Bahamas.

The New York Sisters of Charity and the Benedictines from Collegeville, MN contributed much to this church and they’re recognized in the Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier and Sacred Heart Church where many tourists off the ships visit.

Fr. Tom Brislin renovated Sacred Heart a few years ago and he made sure the “living stones” of that church were remembered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holy Family Church, Nassau, Bahamas

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Today I began a Parish Mission at Holy Family Church in Nassau, Bahamas, on Robinson Road, a few miles in from the tourist area and beaches along Bay Street.

The two lively Masses this morning were filled and the singing was especially lively to my northern ears. It’s a growing area and Archbishop Pinder is planning a large new church here. Fr. Tom Brislin, CP, an American Passionist from my province is in charge of the building.

Holy Family Church

 

 

Here are some pictures of Holy Family. I include a beautiful painting given to Fr. Tom from an Argentinian painter who is working in the area.

 

I recommended this morning to the people at Mass that they  check out this blog because I’m going to preach on the great messengers of Advent: Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Mary of Nazareth.

 

The Benedictines from Collegeville, MN and the Sisters of Charity from New York were among the Catholic communities who worked in the Bahamas. I’ll put up some pictures of the churches and schools they built. The Catholic school system has been an important factor in the growth of these islands.

Saturday, 1st Week of Advent

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Readings

Isaiah 30:19-21-23-26  God heals and gives an abundance of gifts.

Matthew 9:35; 10:1, 5, 6-8  Jesus pities the lost sheep and sends his disciples to cure, to raise the dead and give life.

Daily homily:

http://thepassionists.org/reflections/

Isaiah was driven by a vision of God. Here’s a meditation by St. Anselm that leads us to God, whom we look for in this holy season:

“Get up, little one! For awhile put away what holds you. Put aside your busy thoughts. Lay down your burdens and what bothers you. Make way for God for a little while.

Go into your mind and stop thinking. Concentrate on God and thoughts that help you look for God. Close your door and look. Speak from the  heart. Speak to God: I seek your face; your face, Lord, I seek.

Come, Lord God, teach my heart where and how to seek you, where and how to find you.

Lord, if you are not here, then where are you? You are everywhere, so why don’t I see you here? You dwell in unapproachable light. So where is unapproachable light, or how shall I come to it? Who shall lead me to that light and into it, that I may see you in it? I have never seen you, O Lord, my God; I do not know your face.

I’m an exile far from you. What shall I do, anxious to love you, and so far from your presence? I want to see you and yet your face seems far away. I long to come to you and yet you dwell in a place inaccessible. I  want to find you, but I don’t know where. I desire to seek you, and I don’t know what you look like.

Lord, you are my God, and I have never seen you. You made me and renewed me and give me all  good things, and I have not yet met you. I was created to see you, and I have not yet done what I was made for.

How long,  Lord will you forget us; how long will you turn your face from us? When will you look upon us, and hear us? When will you enlighten our eyes that we may see your face?