FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK
Behold! All four candles of the Advent Wreath are ablazed. The four weeks of Advent are nearly complete. We now bridge from Advent to Christmas. Soon our church will be adorned with emboldened lights, fresh trees will fill the sanctuary and red flowers will overflow like a lovely army of petals. Our five senses will tell us that something great is about to happen – God is about to be “born”! Yes, God is coming. St. Paul in the Second Reading reminds us of the drama about to unfold. The long promised messiah, “which he promised previously through the prophets in the holy Scriptures, the gospel about his Son, descended from David according to the flesh, but established as Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness… you also, who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” (Cf. Romans 1:1-7).
The question now before us: “How will you respond to the birth of Jesus?” The answer is simple but challenging. The answer is sweet but also bitter. We must be obedient. Yes, the horrible “o” word. Obedience. We don’t like that word in the modern world, which champions freedom as the ultimate goal. I see this all the time when I try to share the Catholic faith with others. The resistance is always the same. Recently on social media, where I post events and news of the parish, an old friend from 6th grade made a comment below a picture of the people gathering by millions at the shrine of Our Lady of Guadulpe in Mexico City. The picture of the faithful was massive and awe inspiring. He mockingly wrote: “They are obedient! Good followers. No arguments/ no questions. What you want is a servant. Perfect!” After I read his comment, my first guttural reaction was to respond in kind, overwhelm with mockery of my own and belittle him with my towering intellect.
Luckily, I remembered the words of St. Peter, “have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (Cf. 1 Peter 1:22). That verse always stops me from my idiotic behavior. Instead, I simply pointed out the beauty of the Christian way of life. For us obedience is a virtue. Look at the amazing witness of St. Joseph in today’s gospel. When he hears about Mary being pregnant with the Baby Jesus, he tries to quietly separate himself from her, so as not “to expose her to shame.” Then suddenly in a dream, an angel of the Lord appears to him and says, “do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” How did St. Joseph respond? He responded with the “o” word. Obedience. You and I are called to do the same with our lives. Beloved, if we want to be saints, if we want to be disciples after the heart of our Lord, if we want to be on fire with the same transforming “Spirit of holiness”, we must first be obedient to God’s will. I know this is not a popular way to live in our modern culture but who cares. I don’t want to go with the flow of the crowd. I want to be a rebel.
A Slave of Jesus Christ,
Fr. Brian J. Solive
