No Darkness Too Dark

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.”

Psalm 23:4a

Wednesday of the First Week of Advent

As winter approaches, the days get shorter, and the sky turns dark earlier. Sometimes the darkness and coldness of winter may put us in a sad mood or even make us think about some of the things we have been working so hard to avoid, ignore, and hide from. Sometimes some parts of our past we are ashamed of creep into our minds and it makes us question ourselves, our identity, our present, and our worth. It is at those times when the enemy capitalizes on our vulnerabilities and try to make us turn to him and move away from God.

The Enemy will try to feed the lie that because of those past moments of weakness and shame that we do not deserve happiness or joy and that God does not love us because of our past and we should be too shameful to go to God. But that is the exact opposite of what God wants and what we should do. God wants to embrace us, hold us, and He tell us “I love you! All of you, including your past!” Instead of running way and hiding from God, we must run towards Him. We cannot change our past – even God cannot change our past, but what He can do is bring healing to our past. But we have to let God do it.

There is no darkness too dark for Christ. There is no past of ours that is too dark for Christ to enter.  When Jesus died on the Cross he descended into the dead. Whatever darkness we are worried about is not as dark as the realm of the dead. Jesus went there!  He went there for us, to show us that no darkness of ours is too dark for Him. Allow Christ to enter into those dark areas of our lives and He will bring light and life. 

All Things are Possible

“On that day,

A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.”

Isaiah 11:1 

Tuesday of the First Week of Advent

What gives you hope? The new restrictions because of the pandemic, the McCarrick report, the disunity within our country – how can we remain hopeful? Advent is a season of hope, a hope that is not wishful thinking.  It is an eternal hope, a hope not in any thing, but in a person. We hope in Jesus Christ.

The Prophet Isaiah tells us that a “shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse.” Have you ever seen a tree stump? It’s the part of a tree that is seemingly signals the tree is gone. Nothing is left but a stump. If you have ever read the “Giving Tree” but Shel Silverstein where he describes the relationship between a little boy and a tree.  The tree gives away its apples, leaves, branches – everything so that the boy could have what he wanted to pursue in life. Finally, when the boy came back after many years what remained of the tree was just a stump and the tree apologized because it has nothing left to give. But the boy simply said he didn’t need much but just a place to sit and rest. The stump invited the boy to rest on him.

My brothers and sisters, our God invites us to rest in Him. Especially during these times. I remember during Holy Week when the public celebration of mass was suspended, looking into an empty Church it felt sad and sometimes even hopeless. But then during the consecration, I looked out into the main doors of the Church and I saw people. I saw people kneeling outside. That gave me hope. Because God became man, we have hope. What may seem as dead and useless is that which gives life. A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse. God reminds the people of his promise to them, that our savior will come through the line of David. And He was true to His word. Jesus came. But 2000 years later our God continues to remain faithful and keeps his word. He comes to us in the silence of our hearts; He comes to us in our prayer; He comes to us in one another; and He comes to us in the Eucharist and the sacraments. What may seem impossible to us is very much possible for God – a sprout coming from a stump, and even lions playing among lambs. How strange is that a predator can be at peace with its prey. Commentators suggest that it is a reference to Christ. In one of his sermons, St. Augustine said that Christ endured death like a lamb and He devoured it like a lion.  In Christ all things are possible.

My brother and sisters, things may not look good now, but we can have the hope that we are not alone. We cannot expect God to wave a wand to clean everything up and make everything better (because He is not a magician!), but we can have the hope that He will walk with us through it all. In this season of hope, may we remember the promise God makes with us, a promise that may seem impossible and even laughable to the world, but to us, who are a hopeful people, it is very much possible. Christ has already conquered death and triumphed over evil. There is no darkness, no sin, no weakness or fault of ours that is too great for Jesus.  For all those He too has conquered.  What else do we have to fear? So fear not, but hope. Hope in the Lord.  Hope in Jesus who is made present to us in the breaking of the bread. Jesus invites us to rest and hope in Him. Let us not turn Him away. May the Lord give you peace.

Be Watchful! Be Alert!

First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2020

“Be watchful! Be alert” were the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in today’s Gospel. Advent is a time of preparation and waiting, but not a type of meaningless waiting. Advent is rather a time of meaningful and active waiting. We are not waiting in line for a coffee or a sandwich, we are waiting for a Person, for Jesus Christ. Jesus comes to us not only on the Last Day, but He comes to us now. May we never lose sight of this. Let us be watchful and alert.