Leaving Bethlehem for Nazareth

 

Deacon David Previtali · Leaving Bethlehem for Nazareth

Homily for the Christmas Feast of the Holy Family, December 26, 2021. Gospel of St. Luke 2:41-52. Theme: Leaving Bethlehem for Nazareth 

It might seem a bit odd that here we are, the day after Christmas, hearing a Gospel story about Jesus already grown into a young boy. It might also seem a bit odd that there is no mention of Bethlehem. Instead, we are told that he is living in a village called Nazareth. And so we might be wondering: Where is the Infant Savior in his manger, heralded by angels and visited by the shepherds? Where did Christmas go? 

Well, it might help to know that in Catholic vocabulary, there are two words that both express the meaning of Christmas, and those two words are Bethlehem and Nazareth. Both of them proclaim the glad tidings of great joy that the long-awaited Savior who is both Christ and Lord has come among us! But each one does so in its own way and from its own perspective. Bethlehem tells us the story of God being born on planet Earth, while Nazareth shows us what God-becoming-flesh looked like as the Christmas story played itself out for 30 years in the everyday life of the Holy Family. They are really just two sides of the same Christmas coin. 

Now, as much as I love the sights and sounds and story of Christmas, I relate much more to Jesus in Nazareth than Bethlehem. I feel more comfortable and at home in Nazareth because it speaks to me about an ordinary life that is more like my own. There are no heavenly angels proclaiming God’s praise to shepherds in Nazareth. There are no mystical gift-bearing Magi following a miraculous star to Nazareth. Those extraordinary things all belonged to magical Bethlehem, but they are so out of place in ordinary Nazareth. 

Nazareth speaks more powerfully to me than Bethlehem about the mystery of God becoming flesh which is the very heart of Christmas. It shows me that when Jesus became man he really emptied himself of his divine power and glory. He wasn’t just acting or pretending to be human. Nazareth means that God went to work and earned a living by the sweat of his brow and not by easy miracles. Nazareth means that God enjoyed meals with family and socializing with friends. Nazareth means that God had to pay taxes to the emperor, deal with bills, and meet with the men of the village to arrange for protection and provisions. 

Because Jesus shared in every aspect of life in the Holy Family of Nazareth, our own everyday lives can be spiritually united with his, and become something beautiful for God. This is possible because through Jesus divinity has embraced and participated in our ordinary way of living. By his sharing in our humanity, Christ has sanctified all the little everyday things we have to do, because he had to do them as well. Nazareth assures us that we don't have to do big or astounding things to give God glory in our lives. Like him, we just need to faithfully do whatever our tasks and duties might be, but to do them well and to carry them out mindfully in spiritual union with him. 

It’s quite simple to intentionally live our daily lives in union with Jesus. No special words are needed. Every morning before beginning the day, we can simply speak to God from the heart and offer all that we will experience and do in union with all that Jesus experienced and did when he lived on earth. That’s the key to transforming our work, our joys and our struggles, indeed, our very lives into a gift of praise to God. Some people find it helpful to do this by using the words that are prayed at Mass when the Eucharist is elevated: “Through Him, With Him, and In Him”. This short and simple prayer can be our way of easily and quickly summarizing the gift of ourselves and all that we do for the glory of God the Father in union with Jesus every morning.  It is also an excellent way of living the meaning of Christmas, of God-becoming flesh and living like us, throughout the year.

Yes, the events of Bethlehem were awesome and we all love hearing and singing about them every year at Christmas, but they were just the preamble to a greater unfolding of the story in Nazareth. It’s the story about a Savior whose ordinary everyday human life makes him truly what we proclaim him to be at Christmas: “Emmanuel”, a God who grew up like each one of us…a God who lived like each one of us…and a God who wants to walk through everyday life with each one of us as Brother, Companion, Savior and Friend.

Bethlehem and Nazareth are two sides 

of the one Christmas Coin...

This is Christmas...

...and this is Christmas.

It just depends on how we ponder

the Word become flesh

and living among us.

The Promised One Has Come!

 

Deacon David Previtali · The Promised One Has Come!

Homily for Christmas Day. The Gospel of St. Luke 2:1-20. Theme: The Promised One Has Come! 

In celebrating Christmas, we rejoice that the Messiah, the Promised One, whose coming was foretold since ancient times, was born into our world. We bow down in spirit before the manger-crib of our God who chose to come among us as one of us, to share our human experience in everything but sin. And we praise God for being a Father who always keeps His promises, especially those that He had made about the coming of his Son as the Savior of mankind. 

Even though millions of people celebrate the Christmas holiday, enjoying the sights and sounds of the season, so many seem to have an historical and religious ignorance about the uniqueness and facts concerning Jesus. They assume that He was simply one spiritual leader among the many who have entered human history. But, if we take the time to investigate the facts, we discover that God prepared the world for his coming for over 1,000 years before it actually took place. He sent prophets who foretold many things about the Messiah, from his miraculous conception to His rising from the dead. 

As a matter of fact, the Scriptures of the Old Testament can be called a “Book of Promises” because they contain over 70 of these prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. This is just one of the many unique things about Jesus and it is something that is not true about any of the other religious leaders in world history. There have never been any prophecies alerting the world to the coming of Muhammad (Islam), Joseph Smith (Mormonism), Charles Russell (Jehovah’s Witnesses), Siddhartha (Buddhism) or any of the other figures in the various religions of the world. 

So, what exactly do these ancient Jewish prophecies foretell about the Promised One, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior? 

* He would be conceived and born of a virgin and would be Emmanuel, which in Hebrew means “God-with-us”; 

* He would be born in Bethlehem, the city of his ancestor King David; 

* A star would announce his birth and foreigners would come to him bearing gifts; 

* He would live for a time in Egypt but return to Israel and become a resident of Nazareth;            

* His mission would be like a light shining in darkness, with great signs of God’s power and presence; 

* He would die a sacrificial death on behalf of the people, a death that would heal us of sin; 

* Finally, and marvelously, He would not remain in the grave but would be raised up and given glory and praise. 

These ancient prophecies began to see their fulfillment on that very first Christmas in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago. This Baby in the manger - whose birth was proclaimed by angels and announced by shepherds - was indeed the Promised One, the Savior who is both Christ and Lord. 

Because of this Baby in the manger we no longer need to live in morally dark places or in spiritual blindness, groping and searching for answers to life’s deepest questions. We can each be transformed from the inside out, embracing a new way of thinking, a new way of living, a new way of loving that leads to a sense of wholeness and to real happiness, both here and hereafter.  All we need to do for this to happen is to intentionally turn away from our sins and sincerely express our desire to have Jesus live and reign in our hearts as Lord and Savior, as Messiah and King.

Jesus Living in Mary...and in Us!

 

Deacon David Previtali · Jesus Living in Mary...and in Us!

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Dec. 19, 2021.  Gospel of St. Luke 1:39-45. Theme: Jesus Living in Mary...and in Us! 

As we draw closer to Christmas, the liturgy reminds us of the vital and indispensable role that the Blessed Mother had in bringing Jesus into the world. However, unlike most Protestant Christians, we Catholics do not think that Mary was simply a necessary or convenient means to an end and that once Jesus was born and raised her role was over. We do not believe that God simply uses people the way we sometimes do and then discards them once their job is done. We believe that when God chooses someone for a particular mission it is a permanent calling, something that is relevant for all time. Mary’s mission and vocation was to be and to remain the special vessel chosen by God to bring Jesus into the world and to radiate Christ’s powerful presence among others. 

Today’s Gospel illustrates this truth. The preborn Jesus, living in Mary, fills Elizabeth with the Holy Spirit and she cries out with joy that she has been blessed to receive a visit from the Mother of God. The unborn John the Baptist somehow recognizes Jesus living in Mary and leaps in his mother’s womb with excitement. Jesus living in Mary touches their lives and their hearts. Like all stories in the Gospels, this one about the Visitation is not just the recounting of an event. It is a lesson meant to teach us that, like Mary, we are called to become living vessels of Christ’s presence and power, although of course in a different way. We are each called to bring him to those we encounter and to radiate his presence in our everyday lives. 

The great teacher of faith, St. Augustine, tells us that like Mary we can conceive Jesus in our hearts and become His spiritual dwelling places by obedience to His Word. He bases this teaching on a passage of Luke’s gospel where Jesus says that those who hear the Word of God and live it can be blessed like His mother. Before Mary ever conceived Jesus physically in her womb, she had opened her heart to embracing his Word and placed herself generously at His disposal. And so, by faith she received Jesus within her spiritually, which then enabled her to receive him physically. 

We can become like Mary in this regard by forming the practice of reflecting on the Word of God in Scripture, which will then lead us to receiving him into us through the Holy Eucharist. As a matter of fact, this is why the Liturgy of the Word precedes the Liturgy of the Eucharist in our Masses. It’s no accident that the ritual of the Mass was designed this way. And it is actually the very purpose of the homily to take the Scriptures we have heard and help us to ponder them in a way that will open our hearts to receive Christ. If a homily does not in some way help us do this, then no matter how much time a priest or deacon has put into composing it, no matter how much time he spends in speaking it, it has failed in its purpose.  Just as the Holy Spirit came down upon Mary and thus made Jesus physically present within her womb, so does the priest call down the Holy Spirit upon our gifts of bread and wine, changing them into the very body and Blood of the Lord. And then, similar to Mary, we receive Him into us and become His living, walking, breathing vessels. 

So, it seems to me that if we want to truly prepare for and welcome Jesus this Christmas, we should ask Mary to teach us the way. I am confident that she will show each of us how to open our hearts and lives to her Son, and thus allow Him to be born within us spiritually, to radiate from us, to touch others through us, just as He did through his Blessed Mother at the Visitation. Notice that Mary did not do anything unusual or extraordinary towards Elizabeth or John to bring about their spiritual experience of Jesus. She simply “rang the doorbell” so to speak, and when it was answered the Holy Spirit took over, and Jesus living in Mary touched both of them. 

And that’s how simple it can be for you and for me. In our ordinary everyday life, we can be like Mary with Jesus living within us. We, too, can bring Jesus Christ to a morally sick and spiritually hungry world. We simply need to cherish and nurture our relationship with Him through prayer, through embracing His Word, and through our Eucharistic devotion, so that He can reach out to others through us, blessing and touching those with whom we live, work and socialize.

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Below are two examples of ancient Christian art that illustrate our liturgical reflection.  Blessed Mother Mary is our model for Jesus living within us  so that he can radiate through us to others.   He dwells within us spiritually by faith  and most powerfully by the Eucharist.

Jesus Living in Mary's Womb

Jesus Living in Us Through the Eucharist

Prayer to Jesus Living in Mary

O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in your servants, in the spirit of holiness, in the fullness of your power, in the perfection of your ways, in the truth of your virtues, in the communion of your mysteries. Rule over every adverse power, in your Spirit,  for the glory of the Father. Amen.  Jean Jacques Olier, S.S. (1608-1657)

The Real Holiday Cheer!

 

Deacon David Previtali · The Real Holiday Cheer!

Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent, Dec. 12, 2021. Zephaniah 3:1-5; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:10-18. Theme: The Real Holiday Cheer! 

Today is Gaudete Sunday, that is, Rejoicing Sunday, marked by the rose-colored candle we light in our Advent Wreath as we draw closer to Christmas. It’s pretty hard to miss the rejoicing theme throughout our liturgy. The Old Testament reading from the prophet Zephaniah tells us to “shout with joy, the Lord, the mighty savior is in your midst” and St. Paul in the second reading from his letter to the Philippians calls us to “rejoice in the Lord always.” And in case we didn’t hear him the first time he repeats the encouraging message, “I say it again, rejoice!” 

To truly grasp the impact of today’s Scriptures, I think it’s important to know what was happening to Zephaniah and Paul as they were proclaiming their messages of joy. When Zephaniah spoke about shouting with joy, the people of Israel were about to undergo the worst time in their history, surrounded by invading enemies who would take them captive as slaves. And St. Paul’s upbeat words about rejoicing were written from a cold dark damp Roman prison cell, where he was in chains, awaiting trial by the Emperor and martyrdom for Christ. I think these facts are important for us to remember during the holidays when all the sights and sounds of the season tell us that we are supposed to be full of cheer and enjoying the happiest time of the year no matter what’s going on around us. 

So how appropriate that immediately after encouraging us to “rejoice always”, St. Paul tells us to “have no anxiety at all”, because for many people anxiety reaches a peak at Christmas time. Trying to attain and maintain our holiday expectations of joy can be emotionally draining and physically exhausting. The “ho ho ho” of jolly old St. Nick can easily end up being silenced by all the planning and rushing, by bracing ourselves for the inevitable family frictions and trying to fit too many things into our already crammed schedules. There can be a great deal of stress that makes it very challenging to be joyful because the preparations for Christmas can get so out of hand. 

Our traditional American Christmas culture too often puts into our heads the false image of a perfect Christmas, as if such a thing exists. It tells us that we must be surrounded by perfect presents, that are all perfectly wrapped and placed under a perfectly decorated tree. Then we are expected to gather with our perfect family in order to eat the perfect meal, while of course enjoying perfect conversation which is shared by all in perfect harmony. This seems to be our popular expectation of holiday cheer, and while we all know it's not realistic, we keep demanding it of ourselves! And so it might be a bit difficult to hear our liturgy today shout out about Christian joy. 

However, the rejoicing that the Scriptures are urging us on to experience is not the elusive and transient “holiday cheer” that we find in Christmas cards or in Hallmark movies. Rather, it's an inner happiness of heart that’s not rooted in our culture’s false optimism or fake expectations. Christian joy doesn’t ignore the obvious reality of difficulties and struggles in our lives, but it encourages us to look beyond these things and see the bigger picture of our existence. You see, the difference is that holiday cheer is something that is beyond our grasp and control. It is created by our surroundings which can change in a moment. 

But Christian joy is rooted in what the prophet Zephaniah says to us today, “God will rejoice over you with gladness and renew you in his love…he will sing joyfully because of you”.    Let the profound reality of those inspired words really sink in. And just in case we find it hard to believe that God truly rejoices over each one of us, Zephaniah goes further and proclaims that God is singing joyfully because of us. Have we ever really stopped to think that this is how God sees our relationship with him? And equally important, is this how we see our relationship with him? If not, we should because he has told us that it is so. God rejoices in you! God sings over you! He himself has told us that this is how he thinks of us when he beholds us. Once we truly grasp this reality we will understand the reason why we should be rejoicing today and always! 

The delight that God finds in us and the song that God sings over us is made manifest in an undeniable and tangible way in the Baby laying in the manger of Bethlehem. It is precisely why we celebrate the Bambinelli custom on Rejoicing Sunday. The figurines of the Christ Child that we bless today remind us that God has loved us so much that he left the glory and grandeur of Heaven, laying aside his divine power, to become a simple, vulnerable and dependent human being for you and for me. 

The Bambinelli figurines, simple as they are, keep telling us the story of Bethlehem year after year, assuring us that since God has become one of us, we no longer have to walk through life alone. We no longer have to wonder if we are indeed each precious and loved by him in a way that can never be undone. Bethlehem reminds us that God delights in us. Bethlehem proclaims that God sings joyfully over us. Bethlehem proves that God has become one of us. This is the true rejoicing of Gaudete Sunday. This is the authentic holiday cheer of Christmas which brings us a joy that can be ours all year long.

A Time to Return, A Time to Reform

 

Deacon David Previtali · A Time to Return, A Time to Reform

Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent, Dec. 5, 2021. First Reading - Baruch 5:1-9; Gospel of St. Luke 3:1-6. Theme: A Time to Return and a Time to Reform 

Today’s first reading from the prophet Baruch gives us a message of hope and of better times ahead for God’s people. On one level, that of history, it’s about the return of the Jews from their forced exile away from their homeland. You see, about 600 years before the birth of Christ, the invading army of the Persians descended upon Israel, destroying everything in their sight and taking much of the population captive. This captivity in exile lasted for about 70 years and during this time many fell away from the full practice of the Jewish faith without the support and encouragement of their families and communities. 

But Baruch’s prophecy today about exiles returning home, can also be heard on another level besides history. It can be received on a spiritual level, reminding us that for many people who have exiled themselves from life with God and his Church, the holiday season can be a time of return home. It’s pretty common in parishes everywhere to see old familiar faces reappear, to see new faces show up, and to have more-than-the-usual numbers of people in the pews at Christmastime. Now, there are some who are critical of those whom they call “CEO Catholics” (Christmas and Easter Only), and yes, they are correct that people should come to Mass weekly and not just on our two biggest holy days. 

But for whatever reason, some people do come back home, back to church, during this holiday season. And it shows that at some level they are still connected with God, still connected with us. In some way they are hearing God’s word of return addressed to them just as the Jews in exile heard it from Baruch. Hopefully they will experience our friendliness and generosity to welcome them back home without judgment but only with rejoicing. Perhaps, if we give them a warm welcome then maybe, just maybe at this year’s Christmas Mass, they will realize that life with God can be so much fuller, so much more meaningful, than living apart from him. Just maybe, on some level, they will open themselves up to the redeeming grace of Christ while they are in his Eucharistic Presence at Mass and feel his hand knocking at the door of their hearts. 

Yes, Baruch reminds us that Advent is a blessed time of return from exile. So why not invite a family member or friend who has been in self-imposed exile from the Church to return with you this Christmas? And while we are at it, let’s not forget that we “regulars” are also in need of return in a different way. For us Advent can be a time of return to a deeper relationship with Jesus especially through the Sacrament of Confession rooted in a real self-inspection as to how we have - or have not - been preparing a place for him in our own hearts. This is the message that St. John the Baptist proclaims to us in today’s Gospel. He calls us to return to a more real and authentic way of living a Christian life. 

St. John’s words might make more sense to us if we recall that in ancient times, when a king was coming to pay a visit, a messenger was sent ahead to announce his coming, to help people prepare for his visit. If the people wanted to get the best outcome from the royal visit, they put all of their time and energy into listening to the herald and following his instructions. They literally did a lot of construction work to beautify the landscape and smooth out the roadways because they wanted the king to see how much he meant to them. They wanted him to see how hard they worked to make his visit pleasant. In return they hoped, of course, for many benefits and rewards. 

And how are we supposed to do this? By making crooked roads in our lives straight. By filling in the ditches that sin has caused within us. By smoothing out the pathway for God to enter more easily into our hearts. We have to work hard on actually preparing the way, just like the people did in ancient times for the arrival of their King. And this spiritual construction for renewing and repairing the infrastructure of our lives is the special task of the Sacrament of Confession. 

So, let’s do whatever is needed to level the road and make straight the pathway of Christ to our hearts. Let’s ask for the grace to straighten out whatever is crooked and fill-in whatever is lacking in our relationships with God and others. Let’s really listen to both prophets, Baruch and St. John the Baptist, calling us to return to God with all our hearts and to smooth out the rough edges in our lives so that Christ might find in us a perfect welcome when he comes again.