Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
January 10, 2010
Baptism Can Make a Difference
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Name “Nicholas”
You all know that my name is Nicholas. I am named according to Italian customo after my maternal grandfather.
My full name is Nicholas Paul Amato, and my middle name is my father’s. This was all carefully explained to me by my parents from the time I was a child and it seemed that they explained over and over to me, though I must admit, I never tired of hearing it.
I learned early that Nicola – Italian for Nicholas – ends in an “a” because there is no “Nicola” in Italian. The feminine form of my name is Nicoletta.
My mother was clear that I bore the name of her father. And he was a “great” man.
I am glad they named me Nicholas – or Nicola, which I got very used to as a first generation Italian.
And that name has always designated me apart from all others in my world – from the time I was a baby right up to today at age sixty-eight, soon to be sixty-nine.
The Names at Baptism
When we are baptized, our parents formally proclaimed to us our given name; it was whispered in our ears a hundred times – “Michael” or “Jennifer” or “Patrick” or whatever it is.
But, at Baptism, we are also designated by some other names. We are baptized “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
And from the moment of baptism on, these names – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – these names are also to designate something about us. They designate something of (1) Who we are or (2) Who we are to become as persons.
The Name “Father”
We are first baptized “In the name of the Father.”
This makes us aware that there is a God and that God is our divine parent, the divine parent to all of us. It makes us aware that God is the creator and author of life and of all that is.
The result of the name “Father” is beautifully stated in one of the Old Testament Psalms. God speaks through the psalmist and says: “Be still and know that I am God.”
And so, we are to be still, to stop and to recall that we are not God. We are human, dependent on God for our being and life and all that we have.
As specifically human, we are in need, always in need of growing emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.
In fact, this humble openness to growing is to mark every step of our human journey.
The Name “Son”
And then, we are baptized “In the name…of the Son.”
This makes us aware that God initially has gone out of himself and reached out to us. He has made the first move. It makes us aware that it is God who has taken on our very humanity in Jesus.
The result of this name “Son” is that we now understand that God is completely self-giving. We understand, as Saint John says, that God is love – pure love, nothing but love, love itself.
And with that understanding, we know that the Father’s voice at Jesus’ Baptism also spoke to us at our own Baptism. That voice, the Father’s voice, said to each of us: “You are my beloved son. You are my beloved daughter.”
With this, we know then, that we are loved unconditionally. We have a firm foundation for our sense of self-worth as human beings.
The Name “Holy Spirit’
And finally, we are baptized “In the name…of the Holy Spirit.”
This makes us aware of God as Spirit. It makes us aware that the spiritual part of you and me and all of us is God, God within us. Imagine that! God within us!
The result of this name “Holy Spirit” is that you or I are not alone; never alone! God is with me at every moment and in every experience of life.
And the result of this name is also a reverence for all persons. Why?
Because the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit is here – in you and me and all humanity – whether a person is likeable or unlikable, deserving or undeserving, educated or illiterate, First World or Third World!
And so we reverence God here just as we reverence God who transcends this earth and God who comes to us in Jesus.
Conclusion
So, our Baptism, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” designates something profoundly important about you and me.
These names designate me as human and not God, as beloved and unconditionally loved, and as having with all others the presence of God within and it does it just as surely as you are the name you bear.
That is the wonderful, most important, positive message of Christianity and Catholicism.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for January 3, 2010: Great Resolutions for a New Year
This and That
Great Resolutions for a New Year
Every year we make big resolutions that we rarely keep. These are some small and some large ones that might add some creative alternatives to your usual selections.
Best wishes for a New Year filled with good health and prosperity and the keeping of any number of the following.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
#1: Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
#2: Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
#3: Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.
#4: When you say, “I love you,” mean it.
#5: When you say, “I’m sorry,” look the person in the eye.
#6: Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
#7: Believe in love at first sight.
#8: Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.
#9: Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life completely.
#10: In disagreements, fight fairly. And always remember, no name calling.
#11: Don’t judge people by their relatives.
#12: Talk slowly, but think quickly.
#13: When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, “Why do you want to know?”
#14: Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
#15: Say “God bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.
#16: When you lose, don’t lose the lesson!
#17: Remember the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others, and
Responsibility for all your actions.
#18: Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
#19: When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
#20: Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
#21: Spend some time alone every day.
Great Resolutions for a New Year
Every year we make big resolutions that we rarely keep. These are some small and some large ones that might add some creative alternatives to your usual selections.
Best wishes for a New Year filled with good health and prosperity and the keeping of any number of the following.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
#1: Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
#2: Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
#3: Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want.
#4: When you say, “I love you,” mean it.
#5: When you say, “I’m sorry,” look the person in the eye.
#6: Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
#7: Believe in love at first sight.
#8: Never laugh at anyone’s dream. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.
#9: Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life completely.
#10: In disagreements, fight fairly. And always remember, no name calling.
#11: Don’t judge people by their relatives.
#12: Talk slowly, but think quickly.
#13: When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, “Why do you want to know?”
#14: Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
#15: Say “God bless you” when you hear someone sneeze.
#16: When you lose, don’t lose the lesson!
#17: Remember the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others, and
Responsibility for all your actions.
#18: Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
#19: When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
#20: Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
#21: Spend some time alone every day.
Weekly HOMILY for January 3, 2010: What Star Do You Follow?
Feast of the Epiphany, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
January 3, 2010
What Star Do You Follow?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
John
There is a story that a man named John tells about himself.
John’s father was a common laborer who could barely provide for his family. His mother was chronically ill and in need of medical care that the family could ill afford.
Life was living in a succession of small apartments, with meager meals, third-hand furniture and hand-me-down clothes. All John wanted to do was escape his poverty.
And so, John focused on school and work. By the age of forty, he had a prestigious position with a New York investment firm, a beautiful home and family, and had amassed an impressive portfolio.
The poverty of John’s childhood was a mere memory. Then his father died.
John saw his father as a failure. Weeks after his father’s death, he went to the small rundown apartment where his father lived alone.
John was embarrassed by the rickety old furniture, the stained and faded walls, and the few possessions his father had. In the bedroom closet, he found a box marked “Christmas Stuff.”
Inside John found the construction paper ornaments and lights that they used to put on their Christmas tree. He also found the pieces of the family’s manger scene wrapped in old newspaper.
Then John discovered an envelope taped to the underneath of the manger. He opened it and found a letter written by his father, dated Christmas 1955.
Dear Johnny
The letter began: “Hi Johnny, I’m your daddy.
“I’ve waited so long to say that. Johnny, to be your daddy means loving you just because you are my son.
“There’s so much joy in my heart, so many dreams for you. You have brought joy into our lives, a joy that your mom and I thought we’d never know.
“You see, Johnny, a few weeks before we were married, the doctors gave us the sad news that, because of mom’s many physical problems, we could never have a child of our own. We were crushed.
“Every morning and evening, we prayed on our knees asking God for a miracle. Months turned into years and then, much to everyone’s surprise, you were born at 12:01am on December 8th.
“ Son, I’ll never be rich, but I believe that God will carry us every step of the way. We’ll always have each other and that’s more than I ever hoped for, much more than I probably deserve.
“Some day, Johnny, you’ll understand how I’m feeling. Just keep in mind who you are, where you’ve come from, and how much you are loved.
“Hold the blessings of Christmas close to your heart, because you are one of them. You are forever our miracle child.”
Johnny just sat there in tears, clutching the most valuable piece of paper he had ever held. He realized how rich his parents were – and how poor he had become.
What Star Do We Follow?
That touching story raises one important question for us: What star are we following in our lives?
In today’s Gospel, the Magi or wise men follow the star that leads them to the newborn Messiah or King. The truth is that each of us follows some star.
These Wise Men move us to ask ourselves: “What star do we follow?” “What star forms the meaning, purpose and direction of our lives?”
Do we navigate by a star that leads us to success in business, studies or sports? Or do we follow a star that leads to money, esteem, position or security?
In other words, do we follow stars that change and that will someday flame out of the sky altogether?
Or, do we fix our lives on the great star of God, namely Jesus?
Do we follow the star that leads us to a relationship with the Lord and enriched by that finding, that presence, are we then able to reach out to others with relationships of love, faithfulness, fairness, honesty, integrity, and compassion?
Conclusion
So, on this feast of star and Savior, we are asked, “What star are you following?”
The good news is that it is never too late to discover, as Johnny does in his story we just heard, that the real wealth is found by following the star and the light of Jesus.
Our Lady of Grace
January 3, 2010
What Star Do You Follow?
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
John
There is a story that a man named John tells about himself.
John’s father was a common laborer who could barely provide for his family. His mother was chronically ill and in need of medical care that the family could ill afford.
Life was living in a succession of small apartments, with meager meals, third-hand furniture and hand-me-down clothes. All John wanted to do was escape his poverty.
And so, John focused on school and work. By the age of forty, he had a prestigious position with a New York investment firm, a beautiful home and family, and had amassed an impressive portfolio.
The poverty of John’s childhood was a mere memory. Then his father died.
John saw his father as a failure. Weeks after his father’s death, he went to the small rundown apartment where his father lived alone.
John was embarrassed by the rickety old furniture, the stained and faded walls, and the few possessions his father had. In the bedroom closet, he found a box marked “Christmas Stuff.”
Inside John found the construction paper ornaments and lights that they used to put on their Christmas tree. He also found the pieces of the family’s manger scene wrapped in old newspaper.
Then John discovered an envelope taped to the underneath of the manger. He opened it and found a letter written by his father, dated Christmas 1955.
Dear Johnny
The letter began: “Hi Johnny, I’m your daddy.
“I’ve waited so long to say that. Johnny, to be your daddy means loving you just because you are my son.
“There’s so much joy in my heart, so many dreams for you. You have brought joy into our lives, a joy that your mom and I thought we’d never know.
“You see, Johnny, a few weeks before we were married, the doctors gave us the sad news that, because of mom’s many physical problems, we could never have a child of our own. We were crushed.
“Every morning and evening, we prayed on our knees asking God for a miracle. Months turned into years and then, much to everyone’s surprise, you were born at 12:01am on December 8th.
“ Son, I’ll never be rich, but I believe that God will carry us every step of the way. We’ll always have each other and that’s more than I ever hoped for, much more than I probably deserve.
“Some day, Johnny, you’ll understand how I’m feeling. Just keep in mind who you are, where you’ve come from, and how much you are loved.
“Hold the blessings of Christmas close to your heart, because you are one of them. You are forever our miracle child.”
Johnny just sat there in tears, clutching the most valuable piece of paper he had ever held. He realized how rich his parents were – and how poor he had become.
What Star Do We Follow?
That touching story raises one important question for us: What star are we following in our lives?
In today’s Gospel, the Magi or wise men follow the star that leads them to the newborn Messiah or King. The truth is that each of us follows some star.
These Wise Men move us to ask ourselves: “What star do we follow?” “What star forms the meaning, purpose and direction of our lives?”
Do we navigate by a star that leads us to success in business, studies or sports? Or do we follow a star that leads to money, esteem, position or security?
In other words, do we follow stars that change and that will someday flame out of the sky altogether?
Or, do we fix our lives on the great star of God, namely Jesus?
Do we follow the star that leads us to a relationship with the Lord and enriched by that finding, that presence, are we then able to reach out to others with relationships of love, faithfulness, fairness, honesty, integrity, and compassion?
Conclusion
So, on this feast of star and Savior, we are asked, “What star are you following?”
The good news is that it is never too late to discover, as Johnny does in his story we just heard, that the real wealth is found by following the star and the light of Jesus.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for January 1, 2010: No This and That for New Year's Day
There was no bulletin published for New Year's Day.
Weekly HOMILY for January 1, 2010: Images of Active Silence
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, The Mother of God
Our Lady of Grace
January 1, 2010
Images of Active Silence
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St. Bernard of Clairvaux was once traveling with a poor, uneducated farmer, who noticed that the abbot kept his eyes cast downward.
When the farmer asked why the saint wasn’t looking at the beautiful countryside, Bernard explained that he wanted to avoid distractions while praying.
In response, the farmer boasted, “I’m never distracted when I pray.” The saint objected, “I don’t believe it. Now let me make a deal with you. If you can say the Our Father without one distraction, I’ll give you this mule I’m riding. But if you don’t succeed, you must come with me and be a monk.”
The farmer thought it over for a while and finally agreed and began praying aloud confidently, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name...” Then, after pausing for moment, he asked St. Bernard, “Does the mule include the saddle and the bridle, too?”
I think we can all relate to that. And if we find ourselves fighting distractions when we try to pray, imagine what our interior chamber looks like when we’re not trying to pray!
On this Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, I’d like to ask, “How must our hearts be if we are to pray in a way that creates a transformation in us?”
How are we to be protected from distraction by the glitter and noise of a consumer society?
Mary’s Life
Without a doubt, our lives tend to be very noisy, distracted, rushed, and full of self-centered worries and self-absorbed preoccupations.
At any moment of the day, if we were able to take an x-ray of the inner chamber of our soul, it would probably look like a very messy basement or a very cluttered garage, with all sorts of ideas, desires, regrets, hopes, and half-cooked thoughts strewn about like dirty clothes, broken toys, and unread magazines.
But Mary’s “inner chamber,” if you will, was different.
She had a busy life as well. In fact without microwave oven, washing machine, telephone, and all the other modern timesaving devices, her life may have been busier than ours.
And yet, she kept that inner chamber neat and ordered. And as a result, she was able to hear the many gentle messages that God sent her through the daily events of her life.
As the Gospel tells us, “She kept all these things and reflected on them in her heart.”
Images of Active Silence
Perhaps Mary’s heart was like the smooth surface of a deep pond: clear and quiet, and able to reflect accurately the sky, the sun, and the trees. And when a rock was thrown into it, she absorbed it through deep reflection, and soon the momentary disturbance and ripples smoothed out, and she was back to clarity and light.
Or perhaps her heart was like the inside of a violin: well-shaped by her faith and love, uncluttered, and therefore always ready to receive the notes that God wanted to play on the strings of her daily life.
Or still again, perhaps her heart was like a perfectly constructed canoe: resilient and strong because of her self-mastery, but light and flexible, uncluttered with selfish worries and ambitions, and therefore able to receive God’s Word, to welcome it, and to continue moving easily through the stream of life.
What Image Speaks to You?
What image of Mary’s heart speaks to you in the midst of your distractions and challenges?
The smooth surface of a deep pond? The inside of a violin? Or a perfectly constructed canoe?
This was Mary’s interior life, the secret to her wisdom and St. Luke in the Gospel being able to say, “Mary kept all these things, and reflected on them in her heart.”
Whichever it is, it holds the possibility of you reflecting on the events of your life in this New Year with a new sense of purpose and the possibility of putting you in touch with the very presence of God as it did for Mary.
Our Lady of Grace
January 1, 2010
Images of Active Silence
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St. Bernard of Clairvaux was once traveling with a poor, uneducated farmer, who noticed that the abbot kept his eyes cast downward.
When the farmer asked why the saint wasn’t looking at the beautiful countryside, Bernard explained that he wanted to avoid distractions while praying.
In response, the farmer boasted, “I’m never distracted when I pray.” The saint objected, “I don’t believe it. Now let me make a deal with you. If you can say the Our Father without one distraction, I’ll give you this mule I’m riding. But if you don’t succeed, you must come with me and be a monk.”
The farmer thought it over for a while and finally agreed and began praying aloud confidently, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed by thy name...” Then, after pausing for moment, he asked St. Bernard, “Does the mule include the saddle and the bridle, too?”
I think we can all relate to that. And if we find ourselves fighting distractions when we try to pray, imagine what our interior chamber looks like when we’re not trying to pray!
On this Feast of the Solemnity of Mary, I’d like to ask, “How must our hearts be if we are to pray in a way that creates a transformation in us?”
How are we to be protected from distraction by the glitter and noise of a consumer society?
Mary’s Life
Without a doubt, our lives tend to be very noisy, distracted, rushed, and full of self-centered worries and self-absorbed preoccupations.
At any moment of the day, if we were able to take an x-ray of the inner chamber of our soul, it would probably look like a very messy basement or a very cluttered garage, with all sorts of ideas, desires, regrets, hopes, and half-cooked thoughts strewn about like dirty clothes, broken toys, and unread magazines.
But Mary’s “inner chamber,” if you will, was different.
She had a busy life as well. In fact without microwave oven, washing machine, telephone, and all the other modern timesaving devices, her life may have been busier than ours.
And yet, she kept that inner chamber neat and ordered. And as a result, she was able to hear the many gentle messages that God sent her through the daily events of her life.
As the Gospel tells us, “She kept all these things and reflected on them in her heart.”
Images of Active Silence
Perhaps Mary’s heart was like the smooth surface of a deep pond: clear and quiet, and able to reflect accurately the sky, the sun, and the trees. And when a rock was thrown into it, she absorbed it through deep reflection, and soon the momentary disturbance and ripples smoothed out, and she was back to clarity and light.
Or perhaps her heart was like the inside of a violin: well-shaped by her faith and love, uncluttered, and therefore always ready to receive the notes that God wanted to play on the strings of her daily life.
Or still again, perhaps her heart was like a perfectly constructed canoe: resilient and strong because of her self-mastery, but light and flexible, uncluttered with selfish worries and ambitions, and therefore able to receive God’s Word, to welcome it, and to continue moving easily through the stream of life.
What Image Speaks to You?
What image of Mary’s heart speaks to you in the midst of your distractions and challenges?
The smooth surface of a deep pond? The inside of a violin? Or a perfectly constructed canoe?
This was Mary’s interior life, the secret to her wisdom and St. Luke in the Gospel being able to say, “Mary kept all these things, and reflected on them in her heart.”
Whichever it is, it holds the possibility of you reflecting on the events of your life in this New Year with a new sense of purpose and the possibility of putting you in touch with the very presence of God as it did for Mary.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for December 25, 2009: The Power of Kindness at Christmas; a Girl with an Apple
This and That:
The Power of Kindness at Christmas: A Girl With an Apple
This is a story of Herman Rosenblat of Miami Beach, Florida and is being made into a movie called “The Fence.” It begs the question this Christmas Day, “Who is out there in your life ‘imprisoned’ in some way that needs your presence if only with ‘an apple’?” A blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
August 1942. Piotrkow, Poland: The sky was gloomy that morning as we waited anxiously. All the men, women and children of Piotrkow’s Jewish ghetto had been herded into a square. Word had gotten around that we were being moved. My father had only recently died from typhus, which had run rampant through the crowded ghetto. My greatest fear was that our family would be separated. “Whatever you do,” Isidore, my eldest brother, whispered to me, “don’t tell them your age. Say you’re sixteen.” “I was tall for a boy of 11, so I could pull it off. That way I might be deemed valuable as a worker. An SS man approached me, boots clicking against the cobblestones. He looked me up and down, and then asked my age. “Sixteen,” I said. He directed me to the left, where my three brothers and other healthy young men already stood. My mother was motioned to the right with the other women, children, sick and elderly people. I whispered to Isidore, “Why?” He didn’t answer. I ran to Mama’s side and said I wanted to stay with her. “No,” she said sternly. “Get away. Don’t be a nuisance. Go with your brothers.” She had never spoken so harshly before. But I understood; she was protecting me. She loved me so much that, just this once, she pretended not to. It was the last I ever saw of her.
My brothers and I were transported in a cattle car to Germany. We arrived at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp one night weeks later and were led into a crowded barrack. The next day we were issued uniforms and identification numbers. “Don’t call me Herman anymore.” I said to my brothers. “Call me 94983.” I was put to work in the camp’s crematorium, loading the dead into a hand-cranked elevator. I, too, felt dead. Hardened, I had become a number. Soon, my brothers and I were sent to Schlieben, one of Buchenwald's sub-camps near Berlin.
One morning I thought I heard my mother’s voice. “Son,” she said softly but clearly, “I am going to send you an angel.” Then I woke up. Just a dream. A beautiful dream. But in this place there could be no angels. There was only work. And hunger. And fear. A couple of days later, I was walking around the camp, around the barracks, near the barbed-wire fence where the guards could not easily see. I was alone. On the other side of the fence, I spotted someone: a little girl with light, almost luminous curls. She was half-hidden behind a birch tree. I glanced around to make sure no one saw me. I called to her softly in German. “Do you have something to eat?” She didn’t understand. I inched closer to the fence and repeated the question in Polish. She stepped forward. I was thin and gaunt, with rags wrapped around my feet, but the girl looked unafraid. In her eyes, I saw life. She pulled an apple from her woolen jacket and threw it over the fence. I grabbed the fruit and, as I started to run away, I heard her say faintly, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I returned to the same spot by the fence at the same time every day. She was always there with something for me to eat – a hunk of bread or, better yet, an apple. We didn’t dare speak or linger. To be caught would mean death for us both. I didn’t know anything about her, just a kind farm girl, except that she understood Polish. What was her name? Why was she risking her life for me? Hope was in such short supply, and this girl on the other side of the fence gave me some, as nourishing in its way as the bread and apples.
Nearly seven months later, my brothers and I were crammed into a coal car and shipped to Theresienstadt Camp in Czechoslovakia. “Don’t return,” I told the girl that day. “We’re leaving.” I turned toward the barracks and didn’t look back, didn’t even say good-bye to the little girl whose name I’d never learned, the girl with the apples. We were in Theresienstadt for three months. The war was winding down and Allied forces were closing in, yet my fate seemed sealed. On May 10, 1945, I was scheduled to die in the gas chamber at 10:00am. In the quiet of dawn, I tried to prepare myself. So many times death seemed ready to claim me, but somehow I’d survived. Now, it was over. I thought of my parents. At least, I thought, we will be reunited.
But at 8:00am there was a commotion. I heard shouts, and saw people running every which way through camp. I caught up with my brothers. Russian troops had liberated the camp! The gates swung open. Everyone was running, so I did too. Amazingly, all of my brothers had survived; I’m not sure how. But I knew that the girl with the apples had been the key to my survival. In a place where evil seemed triumphant, one person’s goodness had saved my life, had given me hope in a place where there was none. My mother had promised to send me an angel, and the angel had come.
Eventually I made my way to England where I was sponsored by a Jewish charity, put up in a hostel with other boys who had survived the Holocaust and trained in electronics. Then I came to America, where my brother Sam had already moved. I served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and returned to New York City after two years. By August 1957 I’d opened my own electronics repair shop. I was starting to settle in. One day, my friend Sid, who I knew from England, called me. “I’ve got a date. She’s got a Polish friend. Let’s double date.” A blind date? Nah, that wasn’t for me. But Sid kept pestering me, and a few days later we headed up to the Bronx to pick up his date and her friend Roma. I had to admit, for a blind date this wasn’t so bad. Roma was a nurse at a Bronx hospital. She was kind and smart. Beautiful, too, with swirling brown curls and green, almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with life. The four of us drove out to Coney Island. Roma was easy to talk to, easy to be with. Turned out she was wary of blind dates too! We were both just doing our friends a favor. We took a stroll on the boardwalk, enjoying the salty Atlantic breeze, and then had dinner by the shore. I couldn’t remember having a better time. We piled back into Sid’s car, Roma and I sharing the backseat. As European Jews who had survived the War, we were aware that much had been left unsaid between us. She broached the subject, “Where were you,” she asked softly, “during the war?” “The camps,” I said, the terrible memories still vivid, the irreparable loss. I had tried to forget. But you can never forget.
She nodded. “My family was hiding on a farm in Germany, not far from Berlin,” she told me. “My father knew a priest, and he got us Aryan papers.” I imagined how she must have suffered too, fear, a constant companion. And yet, here we were both survivors, in a new world. “There was a camp next to the farm.” Roma continued. “I saw a boy there and I would throw him apples every day.” What an amazing coincidence that she had helped some other boy. “What did he look like?” I asked. “He was tall, skinny, and hungry. I must have seen him every day for six months.” My heart was racing. I couldn’t believe it. This couldn’t be. Did he tell you one day not to come back because he was leaving Schlieben?'
Roma looked at me in amazement. “Yes!” “That was me!” I was ready to burst with joy and awe, flooded with emotions. I couldn’t believe it! My angel! “I’m not letting you go.” I said to Roma. And in the back of the car on that blind date, I proposed to her. I didn’t want to wait. “You’re crazy!” she said. But she invited me to meet her parents for Shabbat dinner the following week. There was so much I looked forward to learning about Roma, but the most important things I always knew: her steadfastness, her goodness. For many months, in the worst of circumstances, she had come to the fence and given me hope. Now that I’d found her again, I could never let her go. That day, she said yes. And I kept my word. After nearly 50 years of marriage, two children and three grandchildren, I have never let her go.
The Power of Kindness at Christmas: A Girl With an Apple
This is a story of Herman Rosenblat of Miami Beach, Florida and is being made into a movie called “The Fence.” It begs the question this Christmas Day, “Who is out there in your life ‘imprisoned’ in some way that needs your presence if only with ‘an apple’?” A blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
August 1942. Piotrkow, Poland: The sky was gloomy that morning as we waited anxiously. All the men, women and children of Piotrkow’s Jewish ghetto had been herded into a square. Word had gotten around that we were being moved. My father had only recently died from typhus, which had run rampant through the crowded ghetto. My greatest fear was that our family would be separated. “Whatever you do,” Isidore, my eldest brother, whispered to me, “don’t tell them your age. Say you’re sixteen.” “I was tall for a boy of 11, so I could pull it off. That way I might be deemed valuable as a worker. An SS man approached me, boots clicking against the cobblestones. He looked me up and down, and then asked my age. “Sixteen,” I said. He directed me to the left, where my three brothers and other healthy young men already stood. My mother was motioned to the right with the other women, children, sick and elderly people. I whispered to Isidore, “Why?” He didn’t answer. I ran to Mama’s side and said I wanted to stay with her. “No,” she said sternly. “Get away. Don’t be a nuisance. Go with your brothers.” She had never spoken so harshly before. But I understood; she was protecting me. She loved me so much that, just this once, she pretended not to. It was the last I ever saw of her.
My brothers and I were transported in a cattle car to Germany. We arrived at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp one night weeks later and were led into a crowded barrack. The next day we were issued uniforms and identification numbers. “Don’t call me Herman anymore.” I said to my brothers. “Call me 94983.” I was put to work in the camp’s crematorium, loading the dead into a hand-cranked elevator. I, too, felt dead. Hardened, I had become a number. Soon, my brothers and I were sent to Schlieben, one of Buchenwald's sub-camps near Berlin.
One morning I thought I heard my mother’s voice. “Son,” she said softly but clearly, “I am going to send you an angel.” Then I woke up. Just a dream. A beautiful dream. But in this place there could be no angels. There was only work. And hunger. And fear. A couple of days later, I was walking around the camp, around the barracks, near the barbed-wire fence where the guards could not easily see. I was alone. On the other side of the fence, I spotted someone: a little girl with light, almost luminous curls. She was half-hidden behind a birch tree. I glanced around to make sure no one saw me. I called to her softly in German. “Do you have something to eat?” She didn’t understand. I inched closer to the fence and repeated the question in Polish. She stepped forward. I was thin and gaunt, with rags wrapped around my feet, but the girl looked unafraid. In her eyes, I saw life. She pulled an apple from her woolen jacket and threw it over the fence. I grabbed the fruit and, as I started to run away, I heard her say faintly, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I returned to the same spot by the fence at the same time every day. She was always there with something for me to eat – a hunk of bread or, better yet, an apple. We didn’t dare speak or linger. To be caught would mean death for us both. I didn’t know anything about her, just a kind farm girl, except that she understood Polish. What was her name? Why was she risking her life for me? Hope was in such short supply, and this girl on the other side of the fence gave me some, as nourishing in its way as the bread and apples.
Nearly seven months later, my brothers and I were crammed into a coal car and shipped to Theresienstadt Camp in Czechoslovakia. “Don’t return,” I told the girl that day. “We’re leaving.” I turned toward the barracks and didn’t look back, didn’t even say good-bye to the little girl whose name I’d never learned, the girl with the apples. We were in Theresienstadt for three months. The war was winding down and Allied forces were closing in, yet my fate seemed sealed. On May 10, 1945, I was scheduled to die in the gas chamber at 10:00am. In the quiet of dawn, I tried to prepare myself. So many times death seemed ready to claim me, but somehow I’d survived. Now, it was over. I thought of my parents. At least, I thought, we will be reunited.
But at 8:00am there was a commotion. I heard shouts, and saw people running every which way through camp. I caught up with my brothers. Russian troops had liberated the camp! The gates swung open. Everyone was running, so I did too. Amazingly, all of my brothers had survived; I’m not sure how. But I knew that the girl with the apples had been the key to my survival. In a place where evil seemed triumphant, one person’s goodness had saved my life, had given me hope in a place where there was none. My mother had promised to send me an angel, and the angel had come.
Eventually I made my way to England where I was sponsored by a Jewish charity, put up in a hostel with other boys who had survived the Holocaust and trained in electronics. Then I came to America, where my brother Sam had already moved. I served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and returned to New York City after two years. By August 1957 I’d opened my own electronics repair shop. I was starting to settle in. One day, my friend Sid, who I knew from England, called me. “I’ve got a date. She’s got a Polish friend. Let’s double date.” A blind date? Nah, that wasn’t for me. But Sid kept pestering me, and a few days later we headed up to the Bronx to pick up his date and her friend Roma. I had to admit, for a blind date this wasn’t so bad. Roma was a nurse at a Bronx hospital. She was kind and smart. Beautiful, too, with swirling brown curls and green, almond-shaped eyes that sparkled with life. The four of us drove out to Coney Island. Roma was easy to talk to, easy to be with. Turned out she was wary of blind dates too! We were both just doing our friends a favor. We took a stroll on the boardwalk, enjoying the salty Atlantic breeze, and then had dinner by the shore. I couldn’t remember having a better time. We piled back into Sid’s car, Roma and I sharing the backseat. As European Jews who had survived the War, we were aware that much had been left unsaid between us. She broached the subject, “Where were you,” she asked softly, “during the war?” “The camps,” I said, the terrible memories still vivid, the irreparable loss. I had tried to forget. But you can never forget.
She nodded. “My family was hiding on a farm in Germany, not far from Berlin,” she told me. “My father knew a priest, and he got us Aryan papers.” I imagined how she must have suffered too, fear, a constant companion. And yet, here we were both survivors, in a new world. “There was a camp next to the farm.” Roma continued. “I saw a boy there and I would throw him apples every day.” What an amazing coincidence that she had helped some other boy. “What did he look like?” I asked. “He was tall, skinny, and hungry. I must have seen him every day for six months.” My heart was racing. I couldn’t believe it. This couldn’t be. Did he tell you one day not to come back because he was leaving Schlieben?'
Roma looked at me in amazement. “Yes!” “That was me!” I was ready to burst with joy and awe, flooded with emotions. I couldn’t believe it! My angel! “I’m not letting you go.” I said to Roma. And in the back of the car on that blind date, I proposed to her. I didn’t want to wait. “You’re crazy!” she said. But she invited me to meet her parents for Shabbat dinner the following week. There was so much I looked forward to learning about Roma, but the most important things I always knew: her steadfastness, her goodness. For many months, in the worst of circumstances, she had come to the fence and given me hope. Now that I’d found her again, I could never let her go. That day, she said yes. And I kept my word. After nearly 50 years of marriage, two children and three grandchildren, I have never let her go.
Weekly HOMILY for December 25, 2009: The Meaning of the Manger
Christmas, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
December 25, 2009
The Meaning of the Manger
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Manger: Art and History
I am holding here a little ensemble of the Nativity. Not a great work of art exactly, but a contemporary artist’s depiction of Mary and Joseph at the birth of Jesus.
Through the centuries, great artists and lesser artists as well, have depicted that night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in a manger.
Artists have attempted to portray the birth of Christ as a majestic, idyllic, peaceful moment, as in this ensemble Mary and Joseph are gracefully watching the newborn Jesus.
The donkey and sheep are quietly and reverently surrounding the manger. In any century the particular artist was depicting the event hundreds or thousands of years after it had happened, and with his understanding of the Good News of peace and joy that this birth brought.
The actual historical reality of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, however, was probably a good bit different from what is depicted here or in any painting by the Masters.
It was a cold winter’s night and Mary and Joseph were probably very uncomfortable.
Mary entered labor and Jesus was born in a smelly stable in a manger out of which donkeys and sheep ate. The shepherds were rather rough fellows and the sheep most likely did not have clean white wool.
The Manger: Reality
Regardless of the historical circumstances of Jesus’ birth, we can say that artists in general have captured one element of the truth surrounding Jesus’ birth.
Painters and sculptors convey the truth that the manger in Bethlehem is a decisive event in human history. Saint Paul, in our second reading, says it in six words: “The grace of God has appeared.”
In the birth of Jesus God’s grace becomes tangible, relational. The way to look at it is that the birth of Jesus becomes a defining moment in human history.
And moving out from the stable to the environs, few of us know anything about the most powerful man in the world at that time, Caesar Augustus. Interestingly, it is a simple baby, born of poor parents, who was eventually crucified, becomes more famous than the mighty Caesar Augustus, indeed more well known that any persons who has ever lived.
In fact, this child’s birth has restructured our vision of human life. Christmas turns the presumptions, preconceptions, and prejudices of life upside down.
The Manger: Meaning for Us
This turning upside down of presumptions, preconceptions and prejudices means several things for each of us.
First, our value and worth come from the inside, from within us. God becoming one of us as an infant tells us that human value and worth are not connected with power, prestige or wealth.
To the contrary, our value and worth come from God who becomes one of us by entering our world in Jesus. Again, Saint Paul says it: “The Word of God is near you, in your heart and on your lips.”
So, know well your own value and innate goodness. Look not to this world to give you the grace and beauty you already possess within yourself through the birth of Jesus, the Word of God made flesh and living among us.
Second, just as we ourselves take on a different perspective because of Christmas Day, the world we live in also takes on a different perspective. This world is beautiful and essentially good because God has created it.
But, we must realize that some of the values and priorities of this world are out of order – like consumerism, or excessive individualism, or disregard for human life. So, Saint Paul reminds us that we are to “reject godless ways and worldly desires.”
We are to work hard in this world, play well, enjoy it appropriately – but we are not to live for this world. We are to live for the world that will never pass.
And last, our perspective of tomorrow and the coming year can never be the same because of Bethlehem. The birth of the God-child is a wake-up call.
We are to take God seriously. We are to see God in our work and bring God to our work, to our play, to our relationships, to every aspect of our life.
We are to see ourselves as always growing, becoming more and more like the humble infant of Bethlehem.
And we are to bring his power to the powerless, his love to the unloved, his fullness to the needy, and his peace to the oppressed, and we are to do this in ways that respond to the real needs of our day.
Conclusion
We know that this child born in Bethlehem was eventually killed by the powers of this world.
But the world can never destroy the Fire, the Message, or the Vision of this Prince of Peace. He has once and for all time turned human life upside down.
This is why we sing so strongly this night: “O Holy Night.” It is why we humbly say: “O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord.”
Our Lady of Grace
December 25, 2009
The Meaning of the Manger
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Manger: Art and History
I am holding here a little ensemble of the Nativity. Not a great work of art exactly, but a contemporary artist’s depiction of Mary and Joseph at the birth of Jesus.
Through the centuries, great artists and lesser artists as well, have depicted that night in Bethlehem when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary in a manger.
Artists have attempted to portray the birth of Christ as a majestic, idyllic, peaceful moment, as in this ensemble Mary and Joseph are gracefully watching the newborn Jesus.
The donkey and sheep are quietly and reverently surrounding the manger. In any century the particular artist was depicting the event hundreds or thousands of years after it had happened, and with his understanding of the Good News of peace and joy that this birth brought.
The actual historical reality of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, however, was probably a good bit different from what is depicted here or in any painting by the Masters.
It was a cold winter’s night and Mary and Joseph were probably very uncomfortable.
Mary entered labor and Jesus was born in a smelly stable in a manger out of which donkeys and sheep ate. The shepherds were rather rough fellows and the sheep most likely did not have clean white wool.
The Manger: Reality
Regardless of the historical circumstances of Jesus’ birth, we can say that artists in general have captured one element of the truth surrounding Jesus’ birth.
Painters and sculptors convey the truth that the manger in Bethlehem is a decisive event in human history. Saint Paul, in our second reading, says it in six words: “The grace of God has appeared.”
In the birth of Jesus God’s grace becomes tangible, relational. The way to look at it is that the birth of Jesus becomes a defining moment in human history.
And moving out from the stable to the environs, few of us know anything about the most powerful man in the world at that time, Caesar Augustus. Interestingly, it is a simple baby, born of poor parents, who was eventually crucified, becomes more famous than the mighty Caesar Augustus, indeed more well known that any persons who has ever lived.
In fact, this child’s birth has restructured our vision of human life. Christmas turns the presumptions, preconceptions, and prejudices of life upside down.
The Manger: Meaning for Us
This turning upside down of presumptions, preconceptions and prejudices means several things for each of us.
First, our value and worth come from the inside, from within us. God becoming one of us as an infant tells us that human value and worth are not connected with power, prestige or wealth.
To the contrary, our value and worth come from God who becomes one of us by entering our world in Jesus. Again, Saint Paul says it: “The Word of God is near you, in your heart and on your lips.”
So, know well your own value and innate goodness. Look not to this world to give you the grace and beauty you already possess within yourself through the birth of Jesus, the Word of God made flesh and living among us.
Second, just as we ourselves take on a different perspective because of Christmas Day, the world we live in also takes on a different perspective. This world is beautiful and essentially good because God has created it.
But, we must realize that some of the values and priorities of this world are out of order – like consumerism, or excessive individualism, or disregard for human life. So, Saint Paul reminds us that we are to “reject godless ways and worldly desires.”
We are to work hard in this world, play well, enjoy it appropriately – but we are not to live for this world. We are to live for the world that will never pass.
And last, our perspective of tomorrow and the coming year can never be the same because of Bethlehem. The birth of the God-child is a wake-up call.
We are to take God seriously. We are to see God in our work and bring God to our work, to our play, to our relationships, to every aspect of our life.
We are to see ourselves as always growing, becoming more and more like the humble infant of Bethlehem.
And we are to bring his power to the powerless, his love to the unloved, his fullness to the needy, and his peace to the oppressed, and we are to do this in ways that respond to the real needs of our day.
Conclusion
We know that this child born in Bethlehem was eventually killed by the powers of this world.
But the world can never destroy the Fire, the Message, or the Vision of this Prince of Peace. He has once and for all time turned human life upside down.
This is why we sing so strongly this night: “O Holy Night.” It is why we humbly say: “O Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ the Lord.”
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for December 20, 2009: Catholics Against the Tide
This and That:
Preparing for Christmas: Catholics Against the Tide
As we prepare next week for the celebration of Christmas I am reminded that it hasn’t always been easy to be a Catholic, nor is it in some parts of the world today. There are outcries from atheists, agnostics and other groups these days to do away with symbols of Christmas. We’re to drop the greeting of “Merry Christmas” and use “Seasons Greetings.” Christmas trees are now “holiday trees” and please, no singing of Christmas Carols, though Rudolph and Frosty are just fine. And what ever happened to “Christmas Vacation”; “Winter Break” doesn’t seem to make it. It looks like “In God we Trust” has come off of some of our coinage, and the list goes on and on. Catholics and other Christians are going to have to rely on their own initiative to keep Christ in Christmas; the culture certainly isn’t going to do it. The following is a story of how our fellow-Catholics supposedly did it for 271 long grueling years in England and left us an important legacy. I say “supposedly” because its authenticity has been questioned. Nevertheless it’s a good story and if they did it so can we!
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
It is a fact of history that from 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. The story goes that someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It can have two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of our Church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality that the children could remember.
➢ The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ
➢ Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
➢ Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love
➢ The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John
➢ The five golden rings recalled the Torah or the Mosaic Law, the first five books of the Old Testament
➢ The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
➢ Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit – Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgment, Fortitude, Knowledge, Reverence, Awe of God
➢ The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes
➢ Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control
➢ The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments
➢ The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples
➢ The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed
One thing is certain this Christmas, there is no doubt that the culture has gone secular. And while there is no persecution of Catholics in America today, thank God there is the freedom to teach our children the meaning of Christmas openly. Use that gift well this coming week. Don’t count on others, the school, the community, the sports teams, advertising, TV, or the marketplace. You might begin by telling them the story of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
Preparing for Christmas: Catholics Against the Tide
As we prepare next week for the celebration of Christmas I am reminded that it hasn’t always been easy to be a Catholic, nor is it in some parts of the world today. There are outcries from atheists, agnostics and other groups these days to do away with symbols of Christmas. We’re to drop the greeting of “Merry Christmas” and use “Seasons Greetings.” Christmas trees are now “holiday trees” and please, no singing of Christmas Carols, though Rudolph and Frosty are just fine. And what ever happened to “Christmas Vacation”; “Winter Break” doesn’t seem to make it. It looks like “In God we Trust” has come off of some of our coinage, and the list goes on and on. Catholics and other Christians are going to have to rely on their own initiative to keep Christ in Christmas; the culture certainly isn’t going to do it. The following is a story of how our fellow-Catholics supposedly did it for 271 long grueling years in England and left us an important legacy. I say “supposedly” because its authenticity has been questioned. Nevertheless it’s a good story and if they did it so can we!
Fondly,
Father Nicholas
It is a fact of history that from 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. The story goes that someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It can have two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of our Church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality that the children could remember.
➢ The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ
➢ Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
➢ Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love
➢ The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John
➢ The five golden rings recalled the Torah or the Mosaic Law, the first five books of the Old Testament
➢ The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
➢ Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit – Wisdom, Understanding, Right Judgment, Fortitude, Knowledge, Reverence, Awe of God
➢ The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes
➢ Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit – Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control
➢ The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments
➢ The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples
➢ The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed
One thing is certain this Christmas, there is no doubt that the culture has gone secular. And while there is no persecution of Catholics in America today, thank God there is the freedom to teach our children the meaning of Christmas openly. Use that gift well this coming week. Don’t count on others, the school, the community, the sports teams, advertising, TV, or the marketplace. You might begin by telling them the story of “The 12 Days of Christmas.”
Weekly HOMILY for December 20, 2009: The Bethlehem's of Our Lives
4th Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
December 20, 2009
The Bethlehem’s of Our Lives
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Lowly Yew Tree
Up until 30 years ago, foresters and loggers considered the Pacific Yew tree as completely worthless.
They saw it as an ugly giant weed and would routinely chop down and burn acres of Yews in order to harvest tress with more commercial value.
But in 1979, researchers discovered a drug named Taxol that had remarkable properties to prevent cancer cells from dividing.
Taxol targets rapidly growing cancer cells, sticks to them while they are trying to divide, and prevents them from completing the division process. Since the cancer cells cannot divide into new cells, the cancer can’t grow and metastasize.
Taxol is now being use for early stage breast cancer and is also used to shrink a tumor before surgery. In addition to breast cancer, Taxol is used to treat ovarian cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, and AIDS.
And what is the world’s only natural source of Taxol? You have it, the bark of the Pacific Yew tree!
Strange as it may sound, the Yet tree, once scorned by most people as worthless, is now the source, the healing and the hope for millions of people suffering from cancer.
This common very ordinary tree has become an uncommon extraordinary source of healing and hope.
The Lowly Town of Bethlehem
The discovery of the value of the Pacific Yew tree helps us appreciate the exaltation of Bethlehem even though it was an insignificant, very ordinary place to live.
Bethlehem was like a modern-day Frederick truck stop along an interstate I-70. Caravans of camels and camel drivers would come to Bethlehem to conduct business, to change camels, and maybe to spend a night.
As a result, the little town of Bethlehem had few full-time residents; nobody wanted to live there. It was looked upon very much as the Pacific Yew tree had been looked upon.
And like the Yew tree, it was precisely from this very ordinary place that something extraordinary would come.
Micah on Bethlehem
In today’s first reading, the Prophet Micah says, “You, Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah…”
Judah was one of the 12 tribes of Ancient Israel, and the prophet is saying that Bethlehem is too small and too insignificant even to be counted as one of the large families or clans that make up the Tribe of Judah.
The Prophet Micah goes on: “…and from you Bethlehem, shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.”
In other words, just like the drug Taxol coming from the Pacific Yew tree, a great leader, who will be a source of healing and hope and peace, will come forth from Bethlehem.
Yes, an extraordinary person will come from this very ordinary caravan stop of Ancient Israel.
Our “Bethlehems”
The Yew tree, and the idea of Jesus’ birth from the very ordinary place of Bethlehem, has something to teach us about overlooked places in our own lives.
Many of us believe that God comes to us and touches our lives in only extraordinary ways.
I say this because our newspaper and TV news tend to focus our attention only on two extremes – the extremely bad, like the recent Fort Hood Massacre – and the extremely good, like Doctors without Borders where physicians donate their time to serve in poor countries.
Seldom do we hear about the ordinary – it just doesn’t sell newspapers.
I’d like to ask in these final days before Christmas, “What ordinary occasions or things are you missing, things or occasions that can make Christ present as a healer in your life?”
Let me give you three: (1) What not let go of the perspective of, “Who’s right and who’s wrong” in a conflict you are in with someone right at this moment. Try eating a bit of humble pie by at least regretting your part in the rift in order to bring peace to the relationship?
(2) Or try taking the time to make a hand-made card or a gift for someone who is very near and dear to you to better express your love for him or her.
(3) Finally, try just for once making a decision to create a positive atmosphere for others in spite of how awful you feel or what little appreciation you think they have shown you.
Your life is full of Yew trees and you don’t even know the treasure that is there at your right hand.
Conclusion
Today, I’d like to be the Prophet Micah: “Wake up Parkton, Wake up Maryland Line, New Freedom, Shrewsbury, Whitehall, Monkton, Upperco, Sparks, and Glencoe!
Wake up to the fact that this Savior you long for, this completion you crave is already in your midst.
He is to be found in the ordinary corners of your life and frankly all the corners of your life seem to do these days is collect dust.
“Wake up, Father Nicholas!”
Our Lady of Grace
December 20, 2009
The Bethlehem’s of Our Lives
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
The Lowly Yew Tree
Up until 30 years ago, foresters and loggers considered the Pacific Yew tree as completely worthless.
They saw it as an ugly giant weed and would routinely chop down and burn acres of Yews in order to harvest tress with more commercial value.
But in 1979, researchers discovered a drug named Taxol that had remarkable properties to prevent cancer cells from dividing.
Taxol targets rapidly growing cancer cells, sticks to them while they are trying to divide, and prevents them from completing the division process. Since the cancer cells cannot divide into new cells, the cancer can’t grow and metastasize.
Taxol is now being use for early stage breast cancer and is also used to shrink a tumor before surgery. In addition to breast cancer, Taxol is used to treat ovarian cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, bladder cancer, and AIDS.
And what is the world’s only natural source of Taxol? You have it, the bark of the Pacific Yew tree!
Strange as it may sound, the Yet tree, once scorned by most people as worthless, is now the source, the healing and the hope for millions of people suffering from cancer.
This common very ordinary tree has become an uncommon extraordinary source of healing and hope.
The Lowly Town of Bethlehem
The discovery of the value of the Pacific Yew tree helps us appreciate the exaltation of Bethlehem even though it was an insignificant, very ordinary place to live.
Bethlehem was like a modern-day Frederick truck stop along an interstate I-70. Caravans of camels and camel drivers would come to Bethlehem to conduct business, to change camels, and maybe to spend a night.
As a result, the little town of Bethlehem had few full-time residents; nobody wanted to live there. It was looked upon very much as the Pacific Yew tree had been looked upon.
And like the Yew tree, it was precisely from this very ordinary place that something extraordinary would come.
Micah on Bethlehem
In today’s first reading, the Prophet Micah says, “You, Bethlehem, too small to be among the clans of Judah…”
Judah was one of the 12 tribes of Ancient Israel, and the prophet is saying that Bethlehem is too small and too insignificant even to be counted as one of the large families or clans that make up the Tribe of Judah.
The Prophet Micah goes on: “…and from you Bethlehem, shall come forth one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace.”
In other words, just like the drug Taxol coming from the Pacific Yew tree, a great leader, who will be a source of healing and hope and peace, will come forth from Bethlehem.
Yes, an extraordinary person will come from this very ordinary caravan stop of Ancient Israel.
Our “Bethlehems”
The Yew tree, and the idea of Jesus’ birth from the very ordinary place of Bethlehem, has something to teach us about overlooked places in our own lives.
Many of us believe that God comes to us and touches our lives in only extraordinary ways.
I say this because our newspaper and TV news tend to focus our attention only on two extremes – the extremely bad, like the recent Fort Hood Massacre – and the extremely good, like Doctors without Borders where physicians donate their time to serve in poor countries.
Seldom do we hear about the ordinary – it just doesn’t sell newspapers.
I’d like to ask in these final days before Christmas, “What ordinary occasions or things are you missing, things or occasions that can make Christ present as a healer in your life?”
Let me give you three: (1) What not let go of the perspective of, “Who’s right and who’s wrong” in a conflict you are in with someone right at this moment. Try eating a bit of humble pie by at least regretting your part in the rift in order to bring peace to the relationship?
(2) Or try taking the time to make a hand-made card or a gift for someone who is very near and dear to you to better express your love for him or her.
(3) Finally, try just for once making a decision to create a positive atmosphere for others in spite of how awful you feel or what little appreciation you think they have shown you.
Your life is full of Yew trees and you don’t even know the treasure that is there at your right hand.
Conclusion
Today, I’d like to be the Prophet Micah: “Wake up Parkton, Wake up Maryland Line, New Freedom, Shrewsbury, Whitehall, Monkton, Upperco, Sparks, and Glencoe!
Wake up to the fact that this Savior you long for, this completion you crave is already in your midst.
He is to be found in the ordinary corners of your life and frankly all the corners of your life seem to do these days is collect dust.
“Wake up, Father Nicholas!”
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for December 13, 2009: "Why Christmas Is Merry"
This and That:
“Why Christmas is Merry”
At the turn of the century, in the Eastern European Jewish community, when a child began school at the advanced age of four, it was customary to have a party. Admist adoring family and friends, the father would ask: “What five books are you going to school to learn?” The child would reply, “The five books of Moses.” And which book will you study first? “Leviticus.” Why? “Because Leviticus deals with sacrifices and sacrifices are PURE, like a little child.”
How pure and innocent was that sacrifice born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. The ancient pagans could NEVER image that the son of any of their gods could be an infant. The son of a god was always portrayed as a powerful warrior, fully grown, perfectly formed. When the son of any god appeared, he would CRUSH evildoers. With the son of a god, he would wipe out sinners, such that only the perfect would survive. People would live in constant fear, lest they do something wrong, and offend the divine son, and be destroyed by him.
How utterly different the actual coming of the son of God turned out! God’s son came because He loved people despite our sinfulness. He knew humans were in a hopeless state of sinfulness. The problem then was simply: How Do You SAVE SOMETHING YOU LOVE – WHEN THAT SOMETHING IS SO IMPERFECT?
Well, one thing is for certain --- you don’t crush and destroy it! You deal gently with something you love. Besides that, you have to get in there with them, you have to be accessible .You don’t frighten them off. The good won’t happen overnight, it has to be gradual. You have to arouse their hopes, and show them there are new beginnings and fresh attempts.
Was there any way of getting these ideas across? Yes, there was!
If God came to earth as a pure, innocent baby to sacrifice himself, He could show humankind that this was how He intended to save them.
And so it happened. As St. Luke records it: “This shall be the sign. You shall find a BABY.”
Is there anything more gentle than a baby? Is there anything more accessible than a baby? Is there anything more gradual than a baby’s birth and growth? Is there anything more hopeful than a baby?
“I am a little child -- and a little child is pure. That’s the message of Christmas. It’s the feast for which children are indispensable.
As we adults look into their happy faces and witness their lively celebration of the good in life, we are reminded of a divine child--- gentle, accessible, growing, hopeful. Yes, there’s HOPE for all of us--- even the worst of us.
“If you become as little children, you will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Merry Christmas
Love,
Jack
“Why Christmas is Merry”
At the turn of the century, in the Eastern European Jewish community, when a child began school at the advanced age of four, it was customary to have a party. Admist adoring family and friends, the father would ask: “What five books are you going to school to learn?” The child would reply, “The five books of Moses.” And which book will you study first? “Leviticus.” Why? “Because Leviticus deals with sacrifices and sacrifices are PURE, like a little child.”
How pure and innocent was that sacrifice born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. The ancient pagans could NEVER image that the son of any of their gods could be an infant. The son of a god was always portrayed as a powerful warrior, fully grown, perfectly formed. When the son of any god appeared, he would CRUSH evildoers. With the son of a god, he would wipe out sinners, such that only the perfect would survive. People would live in constant fear, lest they do something wrong, and offend the divine son, and be destroyed by him.
How utterly different the actual coming of the son of God turned out! God’s son came because He loved people despite our sinfulness. He knew humans were in a hopeless state of sinfulness. The problem then was simply: How Do You SAVE SOMETHING YOU LOVE – WHEN THAT SOMETHING IS SO IMPERFECT?
Well, one thing is for certain --- you don’t crush and destroy it! You deal gently with something you love. Besides that, you have to get in there with them, you have to be accessible .You don’t frighten them off. The good won’t happen overnight, it has to be gradual. You have to arouse their hopes, and show them there are new beginnings and fresh attempts.
Was there any way of getting these ideas across? Yes, there was!
If God came to earth as a pure, innocent baby to sacrifice himself, He could show humankind that this was how He intended to save them.
And so it happened. As St. Luke records it: “This shall be the sign. You shall find a BABY.”
Is there anything more gentle than a baby? Is there anything more accessible than a baby? Is there anything more gradual than a baby’s birth and growth? Is there anything more hopeful than a baby?
“I am a little child -- and a little child is pure. That’s the message of Christmas. It’s the feast for which children are indispensable.
As we adults look into their happy faces and witness their lively celebration of the good in life, we are reminded of a divine child--- gentle, accessible, growing, hopeful. Yes, there’s HOPE for all of us--- even the worst of us.
“If you become as little children, you will enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Merry Christmas
Love,
Jack
Weekly HOMILY for December 13, 2009: Capturing Christmas Through Customs
3rd Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
December 13, 2009
Capturing Christmas Through Customs
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Personal Trees
Take a walk around Valley View Farms and you can be literally inundated with different kinds of brightly decorated holiday trees.
And note that they are often called “holiday” trees; God forbid you should use the words “Christmas” tree! Many of these trees have a theme.
Just for kicks I stopped by Valley View Farms on Friday and counted 55 different styles of trees. They included Victorian, cowboy, stuffed toys, sports, Ravens, NFL logos, a variety of dogs, one with all cats, another all birds.
There were trees with a musical theme, outdoor theme, a Star Wars theme and a NASCAR theme.
The ultimate may be a tree for coffee lovers, with Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks decorations.
The Baptist: Beyond Self
Now, I have to say the trees do look beautiful, appear clever, and are even filled with fun, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw an issue with these theme trees.
In a way, don’t they miss the point of Christmas? Christmas is not about my favorite style of decorations or my favorite hobby or interest.
In short Christmas is not about me. Instead, every Advent, including today’s Advent Gospel, has John the Baptist proclaiming the true meaning of what we are preparing to celebrate.
John the Baptist is calling us to look at new possibilities for our living today. He is calling us to follow a star and to discover a relationship with someone outside of my own orbit, so to speak.
The Baptist calls us to something that is more than just my own satisfaction or happiness in limited things like an interest, hobby, pastime or activity.
He calls us to celebrate something bigger than ourselves.
Our Customs and God’s Word
And so, what I suggest is that in these days of Advent, and of getting ready for Christmas, we try to reclaim what is at the heart of Christmas.
Yes, many of our customs are good. And yes, we can allow them to speak of what Christmas is really all about.
CARDS: For example, let’s send Christmas cards that convey the “good news.” This is the heart of the message of John in today’s Gospel.
“He preached good news to the people,” the good news that “one mightier than I is coming.” Our Christmas cards can proclaim this Good News. It may be interesting to see who are the folks in your life who send and receive “Good News” Christmas cards.
LIGHTS: Let’s allow the strings of lights on our Christmas trees or on our house speak of the light and presence of Jesus in our lives. The prophet Zephaniah in the first reading says: “The Lord is in your midst; you have nothing to fear.” The lights are Christ dispelling the gloom of night.
Saint Paul in the second reading repeats the same idea: “The Lord is near.” Our lights can proclaim the presence of the One who is the Light and who is the heart of the Good News.
CAROLS: Let’s allow our Christmas carols to sing of our joy in the Lord. Again, the prophet says today: “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel!”
And Saint Paul says: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: Rejoice.” We sing carols and are joyful because it is the very Lord we experience in our midst, in our prayer, in our celebrations.
HOSPITALITY: Let us allow our hospitality in this season to speak of peace to each other. Saint Paul says it so well today.
If we realize that the Lord is with us, then “the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.” So our greeting of one another, our hospitality toward others in our homes, workplaces, or schools will not be superficial, but will speak of the peace and oneness that is possible through knowing the Lord Jesus.
The Conclusion: Gift-Giving
GIFT GIVING: Finally, let us allow our gift giving to be the highpoint of all of these customs.
Our gift may be a Raven’s jersey, Wii game, jewelry, sweater, or gift certificate, but what is important to give?
That’s really what all the people in today’s Gospel are asking John the Baptist. They all ask: “What are we to do?”
And John’s answer, to each group, is the same: be fair, just, compassionate, and charitable. That is the real gift we are to give to each other.
Because being fair or just or compassionate or charitable is really the gift of self. And when we give ourselves, then we are doing exactly what God does for us at Christmas in giving us his Son.
CARDS, LIGHTS, CAROLS, HOSPITALITY, AND GIFTS – all items, if given a second look, help us capture the real meaning of this Christmas and actually help us live it.
Our Lady of Grace
December 13, 2009
Capturing Christmas Through Customs
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Personal Trees
Take a walk around Valley View Farms and you can be literally inundated with different kinds of brightly decorated holiday trees.
And note that they are often called “holiday” trees; God forbid you should use the words “Christmas” tree! Many of these trees have a theme.
Just for kicks I stopped by Valley View Farms on Friday and counted 55 different styles of trees. They included Victorian, cowboy, stuffed toys, sports, Ravens, NFL logos, a variety of dogs, one with all cats, another all birds.
There were trees with a musical theme, outdoor theme, a Star Wars theme and a NASCAR theme.
The ultimate may be a tree for coffee lovers, with Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks decorations.
The Baptist: Beyond Self
Now, I have to say the trees do look beautiful, appear clever, and are even filled with fun, but the more I thought about it, the more I saw an issue with these theme trees.
In a way, don’t they miss the point of Christmas? Christmas is not about my favorite style of decorations or my favorite hobby or interest.
In short Christmas is not about me. Instead, every Advent, including today’s Advent Gospel, has John the Baptist proclaiming the true meaning of what we are preparing to celebrate.
John the Baptist is calling us to look at new possibilities for our living today. He is calling us to follow a star and to discover a relationship with someone outside of my own orbit, so to speak.
The Baptist calls us to something that is more than just my own satisfaction or happiness in limited things like an interest, hobby, pastime or activity.
He calls us to celebrate something bigger than ourselves.
Our Customs and God’s Word
And so, what I suggest is that in these days of Advent, and of getting ready for Christmas, we try to reclaim what is at the heart of Christmas.
Yes, many of our customs are good. And yes, we can allow them to speak of what Christmas is really all about.
CARDS: For example, let’s send Christmas cards that convey the “good news.” This is the heart of the message of John in today’s Gospel.
“He preached good news to the people,” the good news that “one mightier than I is coming.” Our Christmas cards can proclaim this Good News. It may be interesting to see who are the folks in your life who send and receive “Good News” Christmas cards.
LIGHTS: Let’s allow the strings of lights on our Christmas trees or on our house speak of the light and presence of Jesus in our lives. The prophet Zephaniah in the first reading says: “The Lord is in your midst; you have nothing to fear.” The lights are Christ dispelling the gloom of night.
Saint Paul in the second reading repeats the same idea: “The Lord is near.” Our lights can proclaim the presence of the One who is the Light and who is the heart of the Good News.
CAROLS: Let’s allow our Christmas carols to sing of our joy in the Lord. Again, the prophet says today: “Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! Sing joyfully, O Israel!”
And Saint Paul says: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: Rejoice.” We sing carols and are joyful because it is the very Lord we experience in our midst, in our prayer, in our celebrations.
HOSPITALITY: Let us allow our hospitality in this season to speak of peace to each other. Saint Paul says it so well today.
If we realize that the Lord is with us, then “the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds.” So our greeting of one another, our hospitality toward others in our homes, workplaces, or schools will not be superficial, but will speak of the peace and oneness that is possible through knowing the Lord Jesus.
The Conclusion: Gift-Giving
GIFT GIVING: Finally, let us allow our gift giving to be the highpoint of all of these customs.
Our gift may be a Raven’s jersey, Wii game, jewelry, sweater, or gift certificate, but what is important to give?
That’s really what all the people in today’s Gospel are asking John the Baptist. They all ask: “What are we to do?”
And John’s answer, to each group, is the same: be fair, just, compassionate, and charitable. That is the real gift we are to give to each other.
Because being fair or just or compassionate or charitable is really the gift of self. And when we give ourselves, then we are doing exactly what God does for us at Christmas in giving us his Son.
CARDS, LIGHTS, CAROLS, HOSPITALITY, AND GIFTS – all items, if given a second look, help us capture the real meaning of this Christmas and actually help us live it.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Weekly THIS AND THAT for December 6, 2009: True Reconciliation and the Sacrament
This and That:
True Reconciliation and the Sacrament
The Sacrament of Reconciliation has been on my mind these days with hearing the Confessions of our youth preparing for Confirmation, our children receiving theirs for the first time yesterday and next Saturday, and the approach of our Advent Penance Service on December 15th. And for this reason the following account of a woman’s forgiveness and the importance of the Church and the Sacrament struck a chord.
The Church is needed because it can bring about healing, liberation and reconciliation, according to a nun who lost her family in the Rwandan genocide. Sister Genevieve Uwamariya of the community of St. Mary of Namur in Rwanda, spoke recently at the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. She had lost her father and several relatives during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th Century. She shared a personal experience that occurred three years after the tragedy and that she said changed her life. Sister Uwamariya characterized the experience as an example of how reconciliation must be lived on a Continent wounded by violence, crude violation of human rights, and innumerable social problems.
The nun recalled that on August 27, 1997, with a group of sisters, she went to her birthplace, Kybuye, and met a group of prisoners, several of whom were perpetrators of the genocide. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the prisoners for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. During the meeting, Sister Uwamariya made this invitation: “If you have been a victim, offer forgiveness and forgive those who have done this to you.” She told them that only in this way would the victim be freed from the burden of rancor and the criminal, as a result, from the weight of having committed the evil.
“A prisoner stood up immediately and asked for mercy,” she recounted. “I was petrified when I recognized the friend of the family who grew up and shared with us. He confessed that he had killed my father. He gave me the details of the death of my loved ones.” Sister Uwamariya embraced him and said: “You are and will continue to be my brother.” The nun added that she felt that a weight had been lifted from her. “I found inner peace again,” she said, “and I thanked him whom I was embracing.” The Rwandan told of her surprise to hear the man exclaim: “Justice can do its work and can condemn me to death, but now I am free! I also wanted to cry out to anyone who would listen that you too can find inner peace again,” she said.
From that moment, Sister Uwamariya took up delivering messages from prisons asking survivors for their forgiveness. Some 500 letters have been distributed and with some of the answers she has received, many prisoners have recovered friendship with the victims and experienced true forgiveness. This has led to meetings of the victims. “These are actions that have served for many to live reconciliation,” she pointed out.
The nun explained that her village is full of widows and orphans and that, since 1994, it has been reconstructed by the prisoners. She also mentioned that associations of former prisoners, born in different villages, work there with their survivors, and that this works very well. “I deduce from this experience that reconciliation is not only to want to bring together two persons or groups in conflict,” she said. “One tries to establish love in each one and to let the interior healing follow, which allows for liberation.”
It is not coincidental that all the elements of the Sacrament of Reconciliation were part of the interaction of Sister and her father’s murderer: invitation to forgiveness, words of contrition, the speaking of one’s sins, the penance, and the absolution. Two points need to be made: (1) The Sacrament forgives sins and lifts burdens and (2) There is no sin that cannot be forgiven. The Church is important not only in the countries of Africa, but in our own, as well. It has a very important word to offer, a word that heals, liberates and reconciles. Why not join us for our Advent Penance Service on December 15th for some wonderful relieft!
Fondly,
True Reconciliation and the Sacrament
The Sacrament of Reconciliation has been on my mind these days with hearing the Confessions of our youth preparing for Confirmation, our children receiving theirs for the first time yesterday and next Saturday, and the approach of our Advent Penance Service on December 15th. And for this reason the following account of a woman’s forgiveness and the importance of the Church and the Sacrament struck a chord.
The Church is needed because it can bring about healing, liberation and reconciliation, according to a nun who lost her family in the Rwandan genocide. Sister Genevieve Uwamariya of the community of St. Mary of Namur in Rwanda, spoke recently at the Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. She had lost her father and several relatives during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, one of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th Century. She shared a personal experience that occurred three years after the tragedy and that she said changed her life. Sister Uwamariya characterized the experience as an example of how reconciliation must be lived on a Continent wounded by violence, crude violation of human rights, and innumerable social problems.
The nun recalled that on August 27, 1997, with a group of sisters, she went to her birthplace, Kybuye, and met a group of prisoners, several of whom were perpetrators of the genocide. The purpose of the meeting was to prepare the prisoners for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. During the meeting, Sister Uwamariya made this invitation: “If you have been a victim, offer forgiveness and forgive those who have done this to you.” She told them that only in this way would the victim be freed from the burden of rancor and the criminal, as a result, from the weight of having committed the evil.
“A prisoner stood up immediately and asked for mercy,” she recounted. “I was petrified when I recognized the friend of the family who grew up and shared with us. He confessed that he had killed my father. He gave me the details of the death of my loved ones.” Sister Uwamariya embraced him and said: “You are and will continue to be my brother.” The nun added that she felt that a weight had been lifted from her. “I found inner peace again,” she said, “and I thanked him whom I was embracing.” The Rwandan told of her surprise to hear the man exclaim: “Justice can do its work and can condemn me to death, but now I am free! I also wanted to cry out to anyone who would listen that you too can find inner peace again,” she said.
From that moment, Sister Uwamariya took up delivering messages from prisons asking survivors for their forgiveness. Some 500 letters have been distributed and with some of the answers she has received, many prisoners have recovered friendship with the victims and experienced true forgiveness. This has led to meetings of the victims. “These are actions that have served for many to live reconciliation,” she pointed out.
The nun explained that her village is full of widows and orphans and that, since 1994, it has been reconstructed by the prisoners. She also mentioned that associations of former prisoners, born in different villages, work there with their survivors, and that this works very well. “I deduce from this experience that reconciliation is not only to want to bring together two persons or groups in conflict,” she said. “One tries to establish love in each one and to let the interior healing follow, which allows for liberation.”
It is not coincidental that all the elements of the Sacrament of Reconciliation were part of the interaction of Sister and her father’s murderer: invitation to forgiveness, words of contrition, the speaking of one’s sins, the penance, and the absolution. Two points need to be made: (1) The Sacrament forgives sins and lifts burdens and (2) There is no sin that cannot be forgiven. The Church is important not only in the countries of Africa, but in our own, as well. It has a very important word to offer, a word that heals, liberates and reconciles. Why not join us for our Advent Penance Service on December 15th for some wonderful relieft!
Fondly,
Weekly HOMILY for December 6, 2009: Concerning Mountains and Valleys
2nd Sunday of Advent, Cycle C
Our Lady of Grace
December 6, 2009
Concerning Mountains and Valleys
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Sidling Mountain
Many of us have been to Garrett County in Western Maryland. The County has beautiful mountains, national forests, and the famous Deep Creek Lake.
To travel there, you take I-70 west to Hancock, Maryland. At Hancock you take Route 68 west. And here is where you see something amazing.
The first mountain that you encounter is called Sidling Mountain. Until about twenty years ago, you had to follow a windy and dangerous road over the southern side of Sidling Mountain in order to avoid its highest point.
Then there was a major highway project. They literally blasted off the top and created a passage right through the heart of Sidling Mountain.
The result is that the center part of the mountain is now much lower and the new road is much straighter. It is an easier, safer, and faster way to drive west toward Garrett County.
Gospel Images
What happened to Sidling Mountain helps us to appreciate the images in today’s Gospel.
John the Baptist is preparing for the coming of Christ. He is preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
This gets expressed in graphic images from the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Baruch in today’s first reading. “Every valley shall be filled in and every mountain shall be made low.”
“The winding ways shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth.” These images express what we are to do during this Season of Advent.
Valleys and Mountains
“Every valley shall be filled in.” Might we look at ourselves to see if we have valleys that are caused or encouraged by our culture of consumerism?
Is there an emptiness in us that we try to fill by buying things we do not need and by being absorbed by those things or by money?
This Advent, is there a valley we have to fill through a person, not a thing; through an inner, prayerful relationship with God and not by the season’s chatter?
And then, as the prophets say, “Every mountain shall be made low.” Might we look within ourselves to see if we have mountains built by an exaggerated sense of our self-importance?
Do we try to project an unreal image of being more important or more competent or more knowledgeable or even holier than others?
This Advent, is there a mountain we need to level by just being ourselves, in other words, by simply being humble?
Winding and Rough Ways
After “valleys” come “winding roads.”
The prophets say, “The winding roads shall be made straight.” Might we look at ourselves to see if we have winding roads of half-truths and deception in our relating to certain persons?
Do we try to get through things by not owning up to what we did or even leading others to think we did not do something that we did do? This Advent, is there a winding way that we need to straighten by resolving to be truthful and honest about ourselves with others?
And finally, “the rough ways are to be made smooth.”
Might we look within ourselves to see if we have the “rough ways” of a bad temper or inappropriate anger?
Do we engage in angry stereotyping of certain nationalities or races or religions?
This Advent, is there a “rough way” that we need to smooth by talking with a counselor or simply allowing the love of the Lord to flow through us to others?
Conclusion
This then, is our charter, our commission, our work for these four weeks of Advent.
The result will be the last line of today’s gospel passage and, “All humanity will see the salvation of God.”
If we allow God to work within us, to “fill in the valleys” and “level the mountains,” to “straighten the winding ways” and “smooth the rough ways,” then God can emerge more fully in and through us.
The light and love of the Lord will be there for us and for others and the Kingdom of God will emerge more fully on this earth.
Yes, “All humanity will see the salvation of God.”
Our Lady of Grace
December 6, 2009
Concerning Mountains and Valleys
By (Rev. Msgr.) Nicholas P. Amato
Sidling Mountain
Many of us have been to Garrett County in Western Maryland. The County has beautiful mountains, national forests, and the famous Deep Creek Lake.
To travel there, you take I-70 west to Hancock, Maryland. At Hancock you take Route 68 west. And here is where you see something amazing.
The first mountain that you encounter is called Sidling Mountain. Until about twenty years ago, you had to follow a windy and dangerous road over the southern side of Sidling Mountain in order to avoid its highest point.
Then there was a major highway project. They literally blasted off the top and created a passage right through the heart of Sidling Mountain.
The result is that the center part of the mountain is now much lower and the new road is much straighter. It is an easier, safer, and faster way to drive west toward Garrett County.
Gospel Images
What happened to Sidling Mountain helps us to appreciate the images in today’s Gospel.
John the Baptist is preparing for the coming of Christ. He is preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
This gets expressed in graphic images from the Prophet Isaiah and the Prophet Baruch in today’s first reading. “Every valley shall be filled in and every mountain shall be made low.”
“The winding ways shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth.” These images express what we are to do during this Season of Advent.
Valleys and Mountains
“Every valley shall be filled in.” Might we look at ourselves to see if we have valleys that are caused or encouraged by our culture of consumerism?
Is there an emptiness in us that we try to fill by buying things we do not need and by being absorbed by those things or by money?
This Advent, is there a valley we have to fill through a person, not a thing; through an inner, prayerful relationship with God and not by the season’s chatter?
And then, as the prophets say, “Every mountain shall be made low.” Might we look within ourselves to see if we have mountains built by an exaggerated sense of our self-importance?
Do we try to project an unreal image of being more important or more competent or more knowledgeable or even holier than others?
This Advent, is there a mountain we need to level by just being ourselves, in other words, by simply being humble?
Winding and Rough Ways
After “valleys” come “winding roads.”
The prophets say, “The winding roads shall be made straight.” Might we look at ourselves to see if we have winding roads of half-truths and deception in our relating to certain persons?
Do we try to get through things by not owning up to what we did or even leading others to think we did not do something that we did do? This Advent, is there a winding way that we need to straighten by resolving to be truthful and honest about ourselves with others?
And finally, “the rough ways are to be made smooth.”
Might we look within ourselves to see if we have the “rough ways” of a bad temper or inappropriate anger?
Do we engage in angry stereotyping of certain nationalities or races or religions?
This Advent, is there a “rough way” that we need to smooth by talking with a counselor or simply allowing the love of the Lord to flow through us to others?
Conclusion
This then, is our charter, our commission, our work for these four weeks of Advent.
The result will be the last line of today’s gospel passage and, “All humanity will see the salvation of God.”
If we allow God to work within us, to “fill in the valleys” and “level the mountains,” to “straighten the winding ways” and “smooth the rough ways,” then God can emerge more fully in and through us.
The light and love of the Lord will be there for us and for others and the Kingdom of God will emerge more fully on this earth.
Yes, “All humanity will see the salvation of God.”
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