Sermon, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Jan 22, 2012

3rd Sunday after the Epiphany, January 22, 2012

Epistle – Romans 12: 16-21

Gospel - Matthew 8: 1-13

                In the Chapters prior to Chapter 8 in Matthew, Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, which ends with, “the people were in admiration at his doctrine. For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as their Scribes and Pharisees.” St. Jerome comments: when he came down from the mountain “an occasion presented itself for working a miracle; so that by means of the miracle the sermon just heard might be confirmed.”

            And so today’s Gospel reading beings: “When Jesus had come down from the mountain . . . behold a leper came and adored him.” Mystically, the mountain here refers to our Lord's throne in heaven, and the leprosy refers to our sins, because just as leprosy is a wasting away of our bodies, sin is a wasting away of our souls. After hearing the Sermon on the Mount, this leper recognized Jesus as God and believed He had power over the universe. He knew that in a former time God cured Naaman of leprosy through the Prophet Eliseus (2 Kings 5: 1-19). Now this leper in today’s Gospel was not only a man of faith, but also very wise in his understanding of life. He knew that good health is not profitable to everyone as a means to gain heaven, and he did not know whether being healed of leprosy would help him to gain heaven. Therefore, he said to the Lord, “If thou wilt,” or putting it a different way: “I believe that what is good You will do, but I do not know if what I ask for is good for me.” But Jesus, “stretching forth His hand, touched him, saying, I will, be thou made clean.”

            In the Old Testament the prophet Eliseus did not touch Naaman to cure him, but observed the Law of Moses against touching lepers and told him to wash himself in the Jordan River. But the Law of Moses is not the Lawgiver, and so Jesus touched this leper not as a servant of the law, as the priests were,  but as the Lord of the Law, the One who gave the Law to us.  Jesus came not only to heal the body, but to guide the soul to true wisdom, so by touching the leper, He also teaches us that only the leprosy of the soul is to be feared, which is sin, and that neither leprosy nor any illness of the body will prevent someone from living a virtuous life. So in touching the leper, Jesus rescinded the letter of the Law but not the righteousness of the Law. It seems the mercy of God was only hinted at in the Law of Moses, but here it was demonstrated in public for all to see.

            Having cured him, Jesus tells the leper to show himself “to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them.” This is first, a lesson in submission to God’s priests, next, that the priests, seeing him cleansed might be saved if they would believe in Christ, and also that Jesus “may not appear to infringe the Law of Moses,” which was an accusation made against him often by the Scribes and Pharisees. He did not say, “Offer the gift which I order,” but to stop the mouths of malicious talkers, he said offer the gift “which Moses commanded.”

            After healing the leper, Jesus went to Capharnaum and met a Centurion. This man represents the  converts among the Gentiles and more than that. Here is a Roman who had not read the Law of Moses or the Prophets concerning Christ, and had not seen Jesus perform any miracles. He may have heard of the cleansing of the leper, yet he immediately believed more about Jesus. He said to Him, “Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, and is grievously tormented.” Palsy is a condition where one suffers tremors of the body. The Centurion didn't say he would have to spend more money training a new servant if this one died, he said his servant was “grievously tormented.” This shows us that the Centurion loved and cared for him. We can also see that he did not consider the difference between his high state, and the lowly state of the servant. Even though their dignity varies in this life, the Centurion considered only that his servant, a man like himself and whom he cared for, was “grievously tormented.”

            Note the Centurion didn't ask Jesus to come to his servant. He believed that a word from the Lord would cure him. Note also he did not ask for a cure. He relied on the Lord's mercy. He trusted Jesus and merely informed Him of the servant's illness.  Seeing the faith and humility of this man, Jesus immediately says, “I will come and heal him.” But the Centurion replies, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldst enter under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.” Just prior to receiving our Lord in Holy Communion we repeat this prayer of humility three times, changing the word servant to soul, because we ask for the healing of our souls. Jesus marvels at what the Centurion said, saying, “I have not found so great faith in Israel.” The Son of God does not marvel at wealth or power, but He marvels at faith. Of course, many Jews did believe that Jesus was the Son of God, but they were expected to believe because they were the chosen people, and Jesus loved them. But for a Roman Centurion to have such faith was indeed something to marvel at.

            Our Lord then predicts that many from outside the Jewish nation would come and “sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven,” but that “the children of the kingdom [meaning the Jews] shall be cast out into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” We understand He didn't mean all Jews because millions of Jews over the centuries have come to believe that Jesus is the Son of the Living God and have accepted Him as the promised Messiah. Finally, our Lord tells the Centurion, “Go, and as thou hast believed, so be it done. +++

St. Agnes of Rome

            Yesterday, January 21^st we celebrated the Feast of St. Agnes of Rome.  Agnes was one of the most revered martyr saints in the early Church. She was killed in the 4^th Century A.D. The Roman Emperor at the time made it a crime to be a Christian, Agnes immediately came forward and announced publicly that she was a Christian. She was made to suffer greatly for this “crime.” Agnes was a virgin and was turned over to a house of prostitution. When she went in she found that an angel of God was there to protect her. When a young man looked upon her with sin in his eyes, he fell to the ground stricken with blindness. She was taken out, stripped naked and they attempted to burn her alive. She was not concerned with the flames, only with covering herself in  modesty with her long flowing hair. The flames did not harm her.  Finally, she was condemned to die by the sword. She presented her neck to the executioner and her soul to our Lord and her head was struck off. Agnes was mature beyond her years, a courageous heroine who died for Christ at the age of 12.

We Celebrate the Tridentine Latin Mass

Sermon, 2nd Sunday after The Epiphany Jan 15, 2012

2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany, January 15, 2012

Gospel - John  2: 1-11

There are three mysteries associated with the Epiphany. The first is the Star of Bethlehem that led the three Gentile Kings to the Christ Child. The Second is the Baptism of Jesus by John. The third is the Marriage Feast at Cana and our Lord’s first public miracle.

St. Matthew announced to us the mystery of faith by the star on the Feast of the Epiphany, where the gifts of the Magi expressed the Divinity of the Christ Child. (Matthew 2: 1-12) St. Luke instructed us in the mystery of the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan, where God the Father announced that Jesus is His Son. This was last Sunday. (Luke 2: 42-52) Today is the Second Sunday after the Epiphany and St. John suggests the explanation of the mystery of the Marriage Feast at Cana. At Cana Jesus acts as God in changing water into the finest wine. (John 2: 1-11) This begins His public ministry as the Messiah.

               

                Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, have no meaning if we do not understand that Christ is in all the Scriptures. Our Lord said as much when, just before He ascended to Heaven, he told His Apostles in Luke 24:44, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms concerning me.”

                The Law begins to speak at the beginning of the world.  And God’s Law continues to speak from the beginning to the sixth age of creation, which is the period we are in today. The first age is reckoned from Adam to Noah, and the great destruction of the flood. The second age is from Noah to Abraham, our Patriarch. The third is from Abraham to David,  king and prophet. The fourth from David to the transmigration into Babylon, into slavery. The fifth is from then until John the Baptist, the herald of the Messiah. The sixth age is from the Baptist and Jesus until the end of the world.  The six water jars at the wedding feast in Cana, therefore, signify the six ages of the world. In each age there were prophesies of the Christ. All the prophesies have now been fulfilled, and so today’s Gospel tells us the water jars are “filled to the brim.” So we can easily understand now that Christ has kept the good wine, that is, the Gospel, until the last, which He reserved until the sixth age of the world.

                St. Gaudentius   (d. 410 A.D.) has a different insight into today’s Gospel, to help us understand what happened at Cana and why it happened.  The Gospel beings: “And on the third day, there was a marriage in Cana . . .” What is this “third day?” St. Gaudentius asks. It was the day of light he tells us, fittingly prepared for the teaching of the Lord, Who is the True Light. The first day he reckons from Adam until Moses. The second day were the many years subject to the Law of Moses, and the third day is the time in which the Grace of the Redeemer prevails.

                On this “third day” the Lord joined to Himself the Church as His Spouse because this day began His public ministry. This Spouse was joined to Him from among the Gentiles and this we know because this wedding took place not in Judea, but in Cana of Galilee. Isaias 9: 1,2 speaks of this: “At the last [time] the way of the sea beyond the Jordan of the Galilee of the Gentiles was heavily loaded. The people that walked in darkness, have seen a great light: to them that dwelt in this region of the shadow of death, light is risen.”

This Light is Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.

                Today’s Gospel continues: “And Jesus also was invited, and His disciples. “ In the religious sense we are speaking of today. Jesus is the Bridegroom, the Church is His Bride and Jesus is invited by the prophets: “Lord, bow down thy heavens and descend.” (Psalm143: 5) And again, “Stir up thy might, and come to save us.” (Psalm 79: 3)

                The Gospel continues: “And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine.” The wine provided at the wedding was all consumed. The wine referred to by Mary was the nuptial wine of the Holy Spirit, Who inspired the Prophets, because the prophets had now ceased to speak and to minister to the people of Israel. Their role was brought to fruition by the appearance of Jesus. The Gentiles also had no one to give them spiritual drink, but Jesus was there that day to fill the new bottles with new wine. “For the old things,” St. Paul tells us, “have passed away: behold all things are made new.” (2 Corinthians 5: 17)

                Each year God makes wine from water and grapes on the vine, but this miracle of nature loses its wonder through its yearly repetition. So at Cana God used an unaccustomed means to rouse men to the worship of Himself, and this is the reason St. John added the words “and manifested his glory” at the end of today’s Gospel. Following this he wrote: “and his disciples believed in him,” because after seeing what Jesus did at Cana, they were obliged to believe in Him and to pay more attention to everything He said and did.  +++

We Celebrate the Tridentine Latin Mass

Feasts of The Epiphany and Holy Family, Jan. 6th & 8th, 2012

Feast of the Holy Family, Jan. 8 , 2012

Gospel Luke 2: 42-52

Feast of the Epiphany, Jan. 6, 2012

Gospel Matthew 2: 1-12

           On this Feast of the Holy Family we see the Holy Family separated. It was the custom among the Jews of that time for men and women to travel separately and it’s believed that on trips Jesus spent some of the time with his foster Father and some with his Mother. We can well imagine that the presence of Jesus among each group was greatly desired. Being the Son of God as well as the son of Mary, who would not want him as a companion. It is understandable then that each group thought Jesus was with the other as they headed for home.

           When He is discovered to be missing Joseph and Mary return to Jerusalem and find Jesus “in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard Him were astonished at His wisdom and His answers.” Why were they astonished? Origen asks. The doctors were astonished first by the questions that came from a 12-year-old, questions they apparently could not answer, because we are told they were also astonished by His answers. Jesus was teaching. He was going about His Father’s business. We should note, also, that Jesus was doing this in the temple. This He called His Father’s house. Jesus also called Himself the Son of this Father, God the Father and, therefore, the temple and the Law of Moses being taught there, belonged to Him. I wonder how many or how few of the rabbis present in the temple that day understood this.

           Mary and Joseph were sorrowing because this Boy was the Son of God and the delights of His Presence were withdrawn from them. “So sweet is the Lord to those who taste Him, so beautiful to those who see Him, so gentle to those who embrace Him, that even His brief absence is a source of deepest pain.” (Venerable St. Ælred, Abbot of Rievaulx)  Is this not the reason we are plunged into despair when we sin? Because God’s presence has been withdrawn from us? But since God is always available to those who seek Him, it is more accurate to say that when we sin it is we who withdraw our presence from God. When we realize He is no longer with us, we despair.

***

           This past Friday we celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany. As we read in the Gospel of that day, Herod was troubled when the King of Heaven was born. St. Gregory commented on this, that earthly powers are always troubled when the greatness of Heaven is before them. We might ask why it was an angel who announced the birth of Christ to the shepherds of Judea, and why it was a star, and not an angel, that led the Magi to Him. An angel is a sentient being, a being of reason. Therefore, it was appropriate for an angel to announce Christ’s birth to the Jews who used their reason to know God. The Magi’s reason did not lead them to the true God. They did not have the benefit of the Law or the Prophets and so it was necessary that a star, a sign, would lead them to Jesus. St. Paul also expressed this in 1 Corinthians 14: 22: “Prophecies . . . to believers; a  sign . . . for unbelievers.”

           It is a great pity the Jews did not recognize Jesus as the Christ. The heavens knew Him because they sent a star to point the way. The waters knew Him because they were firm under His steps. The earth knew Him because upon His death it trembled, and the sun knew Him because it hid it’s light that day. Pray then that the hard hearts of all who do not accept Christ will dissolve in penance for their sins, because that is the way to peace in our times, in our hearts, our homes, our country and in the world.

            The gifts that the Magi brought are filled with meaning. Gold is offered as tribute to a King. Incense as a sacrifice to God. Myrrh is used to embalm a body. The Magi, therefore, proclaim with their gold that this Child is King. With their incense they proclaim Him to be God. With myrrh, they proclaim Him to be a mortal Man. The Catholic Church proclaims Jesus to be both God and Man.

           Herod’s heart turned immediately to treachery when he heard of the birth of the King. He deceived the Magi in asking them to return to him when they found the child so he could adore Him. From his later actions of the slaughter of the babies of Bethlehem we know there was evil in his heart. Herod was not aware of this, but by this slaughter of innocents he proclaimed the birth of the Christ. But the Magi were obedient to the warning they received in a dream and did not go back to Herod. When they returned to their home by another route the Magi left a message for us. Paradise is our home, our true home, and having come to Mass today, not unlike the Magi, to know and adore Jesus, the Christ, we are warned not to return by the way we came. We left our land by way of pride and disobedience. We must now return home by way of penance and obedience. Now we must love God with our whole heart, with our whole soul, with all our strength and with all our mind, and we must love our neighbor as ourselves. (Luke 10: 27) If we don’t do this we will lose our way back home because we have taken the wrong path. +++

(Thanks to Origen and to Sts. Gregory & Leo for today’s sermon.)

          

We Celebrate the Traditional Tridentine Latin Mass