There is a popular Philippine Christmas song I truly love; it has the title: Christmas in Our Hearts.  Indeed, that is where Christmas happens!  God’s heart overflowed with love, so he sent his very best gift: his own Son.  We all pray for each other during this Christmas season, so that Christ will be born anew in each of our hearts and that there will truly be “Peace on earth”!

Recently, I found this description of Christmas by Pope Francis.  It expresses so well the true meaning of Christmas.  I use the profound words of our pope to express my warmest greetings to each of you during this holy season of the birth of our Savior.  –

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

CHRISTMAS IS YOU  –  Pope Francis

Christmas is usually a noisy party:

we could use a bit of silence, to hear the voice of Love.

Christmas is you, when you decide to be born again each day

and let God into your soul.

The Christmas pine is you, when you resist vigorous winds

and difficulties of life.

The Christmas decorations are you,

when your virtues are colors that adorn your life.

The Christmas bell is you, when you call, gather and seek to unite.

You are also a Christmas light, when you illuminate with your life,

the path of others with kindness, patience, joy and generosity.

The Christmas angels are you, when you sing to the world

a message of peace, justice and love.

The Christmas star is you, when you lead someone to meet the Lord.

You are also the wise men, when you give the best you have no matter who.

Christmas music is you when you conquer the harmony within you.

The Christmas gift is you, when you are truly friend

and brother of every human being.

The Christmas card is you, when kindness is written in your hands.

The Christmas greeting is you, when you forgive

and re-establish peace, even when you suffer.

The Christmas dinner is you, when you serve bread

and hope to the poor man who is by your side.

You are Christmas night, when humble and conscious,

you receive in the silence of the night the Savior of the world

without noise or great celebrations.

A very Merry Christmas for all those who look like Christmas.

At this time in the history of the Church, the memory of “Good Pope John” has once again surfaced as the Church commemorates the sixtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council (October 11, 1962-2022).  Saint-Pope John Paul II has described John XXIII as “a pastor full of wisdom and Christian hope.”  When he was confronting the difficult journey of the Church in a fragmented, unbelieving world, John XXIII bravely showed “optimistic trust,” disagreeing with those “prophets of doom,” who often forecast disaster and act as though the end of the world were at hand. 

Living in Hope.  Pope John was a hopeful realist, an “Advent saint.”  He knew human tragedies first-hand (he lived through two world wars); he experienced the precariousness of world peace (he intervened in the Cuban missile crisis in October 1962 when the world faced a possible nuclear war); he dreamed and worked for world-wide reconciliation, authoring the encyclical Pacem in Terris – Peace on Earth.

Indeed, John XXIII is a modern figure of hope; he trusted the designs of God to guide the Church and all humanity through the vicissitudes of human history.  John XXIII’s hope enabled a new era to unfold in the Church through the action of the Holy Spirit.  The Second Vatican Council ushered in a “new Pentecost” in the global, universal Church.

Venerating a Saint.  Today in Saint Peter’s basilica in Rome one can view the incorrupt body of John XXIII, who died in 1963, in an etched-glass coffin.  Long lines of pilgrims (this author among them) wait to file past the tomb and offer a brief, silent prayer; many bring fresh flowers to leave at John XXIII’s tomb.  Nearly six decades after his death, John XXIII is still remembered fondly for his profound sense of hope and human warmth, for his faith in a humanity renewed in Christ.

Pope Francis asserts that through the event of the Second Vatican Council John XXIII renewed the Church as a “community of hope” within a world full of challenges and difficult problems.  The commitment of the Church to stand in solidarity with all humanity is expressed eloquently in the longest Vatican II document on the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes).  The poetic opening words capture the Church’s dedication: “The joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties, of people of today, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ” (GS 1).

A Contemporary Model.  Truly “a man sent by God,” Saint John XXIII, the Father of Vatican II, remains a model for all Christians who are called to be “missionaries of hope,” viewing all reality in faith—with God’s vision.  He saw that hope is an essential, pivotal virtue in today’s complex, peace-starved world.  During this season of Advent and always, we Christians boldly affirm: Our God is a God of hope! 

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

Third Sunday of Advent

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Fountain of Faith Fill me with that same spirit of trust And belief which gave your heart courage To say yes to God’s will for you.

You who brought forth the Word of God,

And gave your Son Jesus to the world,

Help me to surrender as you did

And offer my every word and deed

To the glory of God’s name.

Through the intercession of St. John XXIII May I have the strength and courage To renew the Church in our time.

Help me to read the signs of the ti up mes That, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, I too, like the Blessed Virgin, Might give flesh to the Word in our world.

Drive from my heart, mind and soul

Any thought, fear or fantasy

That detracts from your presence or

Prevents me from following fully

The way of your Gospel in my life.

In Jesus’ Name I pray.

Amen

Joseph Veneroso, M.M.

On all Sundays of Advent, the first reading is from the Prophet Isaiah; he constantly announces the coming of salvation, often using poetic images.  Today we hear that “a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.”  The wolf will be the guest of the lamb; the cow and the bear will become neighbors; the baby will play by the cobra’s den!  Yes, there is hope; yet, you might ask: What is genuine, realistic hope?

Insights of Pope Benedict XVI.  In late 2007 as Advent approached, Benedict released a new encyclical on Christian Hope, Spe Salvi (SS) [Hope Saves].  It is a deep reflection, a challenging meditation.  The text reads smoothly, the tone is cordial, the content emerges from the insights of one who himself seeks to be a minister of hope.

Contemporary Models of Hope.  The pope provides several examples of contemporary Christians who lived with deep hope.  He mentions the Vietnamese Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, who was a prisoner, often in solitary confinement, for thirteen years and left the precious little book entitled Prayers of Hope.  Benedict writes: “… in a situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, the fact that he could listen and speak to God became for him an increasing power of hope, which enabled him, after his release, to become for people all over the world a witness to hope—to that great hope which does not wane even in the nights of solitude” (SS 31).

The pope also offers the example of the African Saint Josephine Bakhita.  At the age of nine, she was kidnapped by slave-traders, beaten until she bled, and sold five times in the slave-markets of Sudan.  Finally, in 1882, she was bought by an Italian merchant and brought to Italy.  Eventually, she received religious instruction, was baptized, and joined the Canossian Sisters.  Benedict writes: “Now she had ‘hope’—no longer simply the modest hope of finding masters who would be less cruel, but the great hope: ‘I am definitely loved and whatever happens to me—I am awaited by this Love.  And so, my life is good’” (SS 3).   

Living Hope.  This writer appreciates how the pope links faith, hope, and life.  Three times in the encyclical (2, 4, 10) Benedict asserts the importance of “performative faith.”  The Christian message is “not only ‘informative’ but ‘performative’” (SS 2).  The pope asks: “Can our encounter with the God who in Christ has shown us his face and opened his heart be for us too not just ‘informative’ but ‘performative’—that is to say, can it change our lives, so that we know we are redeemed through the hope that it expresses?” (SS 4).

Mary, Model of Hope.  The final prayer of Spe Salvi is addressed to “Mary, Star of Hope.”  During Advent and always, we pray: “Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you” (SS 49).    

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

O Mary, Morning Star of Hope,

Rise and shatter the gloom of night

And shine through the clouds of despair

To lead me to the one, true light of Christ That I and all may walk in his truth.

O Dawn who announces Christ’s coming,

Fill my mind with his peace,

My soul with his hope and

My heart with his love

That wherever I go and whatever I do

My words and actions might reflect

The glory of Christ come to earth.

Into your hands of mercy I commend

All my worries, concerns and problems,

Confident that with you by my side

Leading me ever closer to Christ, your Son, There is nothing that can separate me From the love of Jesus, my Lord And my God.

Amen

Advent and Christmas form a unique “Marian Season.”  Christians recall that it was Mary (along with Joseph), awaiting the birth of her son, who celebrated the very first advent.  Mary made a unique faith journey, preparing for Christ’s nativity for nine full months.  During this time Mary can be heard singing the Magnificat, a song of praise, the same canticle she probably sung repeatedly during the nine months of her pregnancy, the original advent season.

An Advent Hymn.  “The song of Mary is the oldest Advent hymn,” preached Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian killed by the Nazis during the Second World War.  “It is at once the most passionate, the wildest, one might say, the most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung.  This is not the gentle, tender, dreamy Mary whom we sometimes see in paintings; this is the passionate, surrendered, proud, enthusiastic Mary who speaks out here.”

Bonhoeffer Continues. “This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols.  It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about collapsing thrones and humbled lords of this world, about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.”  Yes, Mary sings a song that proclaims God’s gracious, effective compassion and liberation!

Faith and Service.  It is helpful to recall the context of Mary’s Magnificat hymn.  Mary has generously said fiat [yes, let it be] to the invitation to become the Mother of God through Gabriel’s Annunciation (Lk 1:26-38).  Her deep faith and willingness to serve have prompted her to make the arduous journey to Ain Karim, a trip of over sixty miles from Nazareth. 

Mary’s Visitation to Elizabeth (Lk 1:39-45) is a generous act of service; though pregnant herself, she does not hesitate to be of service to another much older Jewish woman, six months pregnant with her first child.  What a scene of great joy!  Mary and Elizabeth, both faithful women of Israel, have been uniquely blessed by the Most High.

In Luke’s Gospel, Mary’s Magnificat is the long and beautiful prayer-poem she uttered on this emotion-filled occasion. 

Joining Mary’s Song.  The Magnificat, which the entire Church says daily during Vesper prayer, must remain a challenge for us—at Christmas and always.  Christians need to constantly integrate prayer and praise of God (worship) with commitment to social transformation (justice).  To glorify God demands striving to be anawim, opting for the poor, the hungry, the powerless.  To be Christian demands a reversal of values; one must become “counter-cultural,” challenging the status quo. 

We join with Mary in both praising God for his loving-kindness and in generously embracing the poor of this world.  Indeed, it is only in this two-fold way that our celebration of the Advent-Christmas season will be authentic!  May you, your loved ones and family enjoy a “Magnificat Advent-Christmas,” filled with both singing God’s praises and serving our needy neighbors.  I will already wish you a “Mary Christmas”!     

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

First Sunday of Advent

Fill our hearts to overflowing with your love

O Blessed Virgin Mary that we might join you in praising

the wonderful works God is doing in this world through you with Jesus.

Behold, the mighty fall from their thrones even as God raises up the lowly.

The poor are filled with good things even as the rich are sent empty away.

In and through you, O Blessed Mother, God’s word took flesh and was born

to turn our world upside down that we might seek and find your Son

not in palaces and mansions but in the lowly and humble dwellings

of the poor and oppressed.

Teach us, Mother Mary, to rejoice ever in the wonders of God-With-Us,

Emmanuel! Promised from of old now born in the fullness of time

to dwell among us who have no power save in the Name of Jesus, our Lord.

Come, Lord Jesus, return soon that we might live with you forever.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

If asked what movie I have seen most frequently in my whole life, I would have to reply: A Man for All Seasons.  This 1960s film was based on a striking play written by Robert Bolt.  In explaining his choice of Thomas More for the drama, Bolt gave this rationale: “A man takes an oath only when he wants to commit himself quite exceptionally to the statement, when he wants to make an identity between the truth of it and his own virtue; he offers himself as a guarantee.” 

Profound Vision.  Thomas More was martyred in 1535 at age 57.   Reflecting on More’s life, Bolt affirms that “a clear sense of the self can only crystallize around something transcendental.”  Thomas More explains this radical self-awareness, faith and commitment to his daughter Margaret when she visits him in prison: “When a man takes an oath, Meg, he’s holding his own self in his own hands.  Like water.  And if he opens his fingers then—he needn’t hope to find himself again.  Some men aren’t capable of this, but I’d be loathe to think your father one of them.”  Indeed, More exemplifies “a Christian saint, as a hero of selfhood.”   

Christ the King Feast.  Coming at the end of the liturgical year, this feast is a wonderful opportunity for reflection on the depth of our acceptance of Christ as our King, our Crucified King.  Thomas More gave his answer—with his life.  Jesus had truly become his King!  In deep faith, More could even say to his executioner: “Friend, be not afraid of your office.  You send me to God.” 

More’s Example.  I distinctly remember the 2010 visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom.  As an aside, I recall the vivid image of the Pope and Queen Elizabeth, standing side by side—both with full heads of white hair!  One of the pope’s speeches was given in Westminster Hall; the trial of Saint Thomas More occurred in that very place; he was condemned to death for refusing to follow the rebellion of King Henry VIII against papal authority on divorce.  Thomas More adhered to God and his personal conscience; his final words on the scaffold were: “The King’s good servant, but God’s first.”

More’s Faith.  More’s convictions are vividly revealed in his letters from prison in the Tower of London; they manifest a deep devotion to the suffering Christ.  For More, Christ was his suffering-crucified King.  More is truly a “man for all seasons.” 

Our Prayer.  Each day as we Christians say the Our Father, we pray: Your

Kingdom come!  And, what kind of kingdom do we work, pray, and suffer for?  As stated so beautifully in the Preface of today’s Mass, we ask God to establish “an eternal and universal kingdom, a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love and peace.”  O, crucified-risen Lord, may your kingdom come!   

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

Solemnity of our Lord Jesus, Christ the King

Jesus, my Lord, my king, my God, my all,

I kneel before your throne of grace

and ask only that you give me the courage

and strength to be true to my baptismal vows

to know, love and serve you above all

with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.

May your kingdom come upon this earth

that your justice, truth and peace

might prevail. Help all to seek and find

holiness and love in everyday

things and ordinary actions.

May your reign embrace all peoples

nations and cultures, that your Gospel

might be preached, received and

believed around the world in every place

and in every heart.

Grant that I might drive from my soul

any obstacle or distraction to my

answering your call to follow you

no matter where your Spirit takes me

knowing full well it ends at the Cross

where at length I offer my life to you.

Amen

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Today is the second-to-last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year.  Next Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King; then we begin the season of Advent.  Our readings today, especially from the prophet Malachi and the evangelist Luke, are not easily understood.  They are a type of writing known as “apocalyptic literature.”

The readings capture our attention through a variety of images.  The prophet Malachi writes that “the day is coming, blazing like an oven” and it will set all evildoers on fire.  Jesus says that “the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.”  These dramatic images are not meant to overwhelm us with fear.  Rather, they are a clarion call to profound faith in God.

Living in Turbulent Times.  If we are honest, we must admit that we do live in uncertain times.  There is the ongoing war in Ukraine.  Recent typhoons and hurricanes have brought unbelievable destruction.  I recall the consoling words of the Philippine bishops during a time of national unrest in 2018; they wrote: “we are often so easily overcome by fear and panic….  There is nothing that can calm us down in these turbulent times, except the quiet recognition of Him who assured us of His abiding presence: ‘Be not afraid; it is I’” (Mt 14:27).

Interpreting Life’s Events.  In his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis exhorts us to an “ever watchful scrutiny of the signs of the times” (EG 51).  This task of examining current realities in the light of Christian faith is “a grave responsibility” (EG 51).  Francis proposes using “an evangelical discernment” which is “the approach of a missionary disciple” who is guided by “the light and strength of the Holy Spirit” (EG 50).  Christian faith demands “recognizing and discerning spirits” and ultimately “choosing movements of the spirit of good and rejecting those of the spirit of evil” (EG 51).

“Signs of the Times” Approach.  This Christian approach to “faith-reflection” on current realities was promoted by the Second Vatican Council.  In its document Gaudium et Spes, we read: “The Church has always had the duty of scrutinizing the signs of the times and of interpreting them in the light of the Gospel” (GS 4).  We are to give a “faith-reading” to life’s events, engaging in “the theological interpretation of contemporary history.”  All Catholics are to respond to the signs of the times.  This “social engagement” is essential to the Church’s evangelizing mission in the contemporary world.

Following Pope Francis.  Our Pope is deeply involved in a “faith-reading” of the signs of the times.  He asks us to examine the many challenges present in today’s world.  “Let us look upon them as challenges which can help us to grow” (EG 84).  “Challenges exist to be overcome!  Let us be realists, but without losing our joy, our boldness and our hope-filled commitment” (EG 109).

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

33^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lord of all times and seasons,

You Who are the Alpha and the Omega

the Beginning and the End of all time,

space, things visible and invisible,

send forth your Spirit of wisdom

and understanding that I might

read the signs of the times aright.

You, for whom a thousand years

pass like a single night and

a single day passes like

a thousand years, may we look

at this passing world and realize

all things pass away but

you alone last forever.

In these uncertain times and confusing

events, let my faith in you never waiver.

You Who alone are the still point in

an ever-changing world, grant that

I put my faith in you alone and trust

in your promise to remain ever

at my side till the end of time,

amen and come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.

Today’s first reading narrates the inspirational story of seven martyr brothers and their brave mother who endured a fierce religious persecution from the pagan Seleucid kings two centuries before the birth of Christ.  They remained faithful to their monotheistic religion; they noted that it was their choice “to die at the hands of men with the hope God gives of being raised up by him.”  This is an early expression of “resurrection faith,” a central theme of today’s Gospel.

Have you ever asked yourself: Would I be willing to die for my faith in Christ?  Probably, we will never have to face this choice.  A more realistic question is: How can I truly live my faith commitment on a daily basis?  If we practice our faith well, serving our needy brothers and sisters, then a faith-filled death will almost naturally follow.  Here we can draw inspiration from one of the Church’s contemporary saints, Oscar Romero.

Saint Oscar Romero.  As Archbishop of San Salvador in Central America, Romero was assassinated on March 24, 1980 as he was celebrating Mass in the Divine Providence cancer hospital where he lived.  On February 3, 2015 Pope Francis officially declared Romero a martyr of the Catholic faith, the first declared martyr after Vatican II!  He was beatified on May 23, 2015 and canonized on October 14, 2018 (only four years ago)!  Romero was known, respected, and loved as a defender of the poor during one of the most difficult periods in El Salvador (1970s-1980s), during which five priests, numerous catechists, and countless Catholic laity were assassinated. 

The living example of Romero is always relevant: “The hope we preach to the poor is in order that dignity be restored to them, and to give them courage to be themselves, the authors of their destiny.….  The Church has not only embodied herself in the world of the poor, giving them hope, but she is firmly committed to their defense.”  Pope Francis never tires of repeating: “I want a Church which is poor and for the poor” (Evangelii Gaudium 198).

Romero’s Faith Vision.  Romero has eloquently expressed his deep faith in Christ and resurrected life after death: “If God accepts the sacrifice of my life, may my death be for the freedom of my people.  A bishop will die, but the Church of God, which is the people, will never perish.  I do not believe in death without resurrection.  If they kill me, I will rise again in the people of El Salvador.”  Undoubtedly, Romero’s words clearly echo the same resurrection faith expressed in today’s scripture readings.

Reflection.  What should “living our resurrection faith” and “remembering Saint Oscar Romero” mean for us today?  This means to become active, to witness to our resurrection faith, promoting social justice.  As a martyr of the Church’s “option for the poor,” Saint Oscar Romero is truly an inspiring “contemporary icon” for us, members of Christ’s servant-Church.          

James H. Kroeger, M.M.

32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

O most merciful God of life and love

in each generation you raise up saints

who show us in various ways how to live

their faith in our ever-changing world.

By their example give us courage

to live our faith daily in the face of failures,

opposition and even persecution asking

only that our small sacrifices may

give glory to you as we witness to your truth.

In this month of all souls, as we pray for

All the faithful departed, may they, in turn

intercede for us who still struggle here below.

We pray, too, for all those who have died,

especially for the souls of those who have

no one to prayer for them.

Grant them Eternal peace and joy in your presence

as we enter into the communion of saints

and the community of all souls.

Above all, God of power and might,

grant me the grace to live the gospel

in small things no less than great,

in hours of sadness no less than joy

and in disappointments no less

than triumphs and success

that whatever I say or do

may be for your glory

through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

By Fr. Joseph Veneroso. M.M.