Midnight Mass Homily - Old St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco, Christmas 2018
ristmas 2018
The average person speaks about 7,000 words per day. Given the number of people on the planet, that comes to over 62 trillion words spoken per day. I’d be delusional if I really thought thatI could speak a word or two that would make a lasting difference. Is anything I might say in this homily tonight of any real importance?
During this Holy Night we remember and celebrate God’s first and second Word. For an eternity God’s first Word was and is silence. When God spoke God’s second Word all of creation came, and continues to flow into being. Out of an eternity of loving silence all that exists flows into being and will continue to flow into being for all eternity.
God’s second Word wasn’t so much a word but an action born of an eternal unconditional love, a love that continues to hold everything in existence. Without God’s love nothing would matter or make sense.
All that I have shared so far is a bit abstract, but this Holy Night is not about abstractions; it is about The Eternal Word becoming flesh in Jesus. God took action and gave us a baby, and a poor one at that. Yes, God gave us what we wouldn’t dare ask for, more than we could ever dream or expect… God gave us a baby.
Why would God give us a baby? Or, why do kids ask for puppies? If you think about it babies and puppies are pretty useless, totally dependent eating and pooping machines — until, until we love them. Love makes all the difference. To gaze into the eyes of a child or a puppy for that matter, and have that gaze returned to you is something unspeakable — yet probably the most profound thing that can happen to us; for what is happening is the flowing of unconditional love, from God, through us, to the other and all of that is returned to us — it is where we experience Divine connection, divine life in us and in the other; and yes I believe dogs go to heaven.
The Christmas crèche is an image of the Divine, Mary and Joseph gazing at Jesus and Jesus returning that unconditional loving gaze — the Divine connection is completed, the circle is complete. All we need to know about God, all that we need to know about our relationship with God and all we need to know about each other, is contained in this image; but it is only an image.
Meister Eckhart, a fourteenth century mystic said: “what good is it that Jesus was born of a virgin 2,000 years ago, if we do not give birth to the Christ everyday in our lives? It all remains just an image, an idea until we decide to live this Word, this image of the manger.
The other evening I was bummed out over several things. I decided to go outside and as I walked out the front door of the rectory there was a homeless person standing there. We greeted each other, then started chatting, what was going on in his life and in my life and found we had much in common. The one thing he asked for came at the end and it is not what you think — “can I have a hug?” For sure. It was the most heart-felt hug I’ve experienced in a long time. Our stories connected - the divine connection was made.
I didn’t learn about God’s love in a book, the catechism, or from the Church, but from events. I accidentally shot my mother’s brand new VW, big hole in the right door. My life flashed before my eyes, because I didn’t think I had much of it left. When my dad came home I showed him the door; he looked at it, then at me and said “Oh, don’t ever do that again,” and he walked away. Later, at dinner, I asked is that all your are going to say? Yes, he said, you already went through enough hell before I got home. That’s how I came to know unconditional love.
Tonight we remember and celebrate God’s flowing, loving gaze upon us and our call is to live the image of the manger and cast that loving gaze upon one another, and all who we encounter; not seeing anyone as useless, of no account but by raising them up by connecting them into the flow of God’s unconditional love — the only Word that has lasting significance.
One final word must be spoken and it is to those of you who find yourselves in church only once or twice a year. You are the most important people here this evening. We Paulists and all of us here at Old St. Mary’s hope you see, hear or feel something that may draw you back more often. All are welcome here.
I
The average person speaks about 7,000 words per day. Given the number of people on the planet, that comes to over 62 trillion words spoken per day. I’d be delusional if I really thought thatI could speak a word or two that would make a lasting difference. Is anything I might say in this homily tonight of any real importance?
During this Holy Night we remember and celebrate God’s first and second Word. For an eternity God’s first Word was and is silence. When God spoke God’s second Word all of creation came, and continues to flow into being. Out of an eternity of loving silence all that exists flows into being and will continue to flow into being for all eternity.
God’s second Word wasn’t so much a word but an action born of an eternal unconditional love, a love that continues to hold everything in existence. Without God’s love nothing would matter or make sense.
All that I have shared so far is a bit abstract, but this Holy Night is not about abstractions; it is about The Eternal Word becoming flesh in Jesus. God took action and gave us a baby, and a poor one at that. Yes, God gave us what we wouldn’t dare ask for, more than we could ever dream or expect… God gave us a baby.
Why would God give us a baby? Or, why do kids ask for puppies? If you think about it babies and puppies are pretty useless, totally dependent eating and pooping machines — until, until we love them. Love makes all the difference. To gaze into the eyes of a child or a puppy for that matter, and have that gaze returned to you is something unspeakable — yet probably the most profound thing that can happen to us; for what is happening is the flowing of unconditional love, from God, through us, to the other and all of that is returned to us — it is where we experience Divine connection, divine life in us and in the other; and yes I believe dogs go to heaven.
The Christmas crèche is an image of the Divine, Mary and Joseph gazing at Jesus and Jesus returning that unconditional loving gaze — the Divine connection is completed, the circle is complete. All we need to know about God, all that we need to know about our relationship with God and all we need to know about each other, is contained in this image; but it is only an image.
Meister Eckhart, a fourteenth century mystic said: “what good is it that Jesus was born of a virgin 2,000 years ago, if we do not give birth to the Christ everyday in our lives? It all remains just an image, an idea until we decide to live this Word, this image of the manger.
The other evening I was bummed out over several things. I decided to go outside and as I walked out the front door of the rectory there was a homeless person standing there. We greeted each other, then started chatting, what was going on in his life and in my life and found we had much in common. The one thing he asked for came at the end and it is not what you think — “can I have a hug?” For sure. It was the most heart-felt hug I’ve experienced in a long time. Our stories connected - the divine connection was made.
I didn’t learn about God’s love in a book, the catechism, or from the Church, but from events. I accidentally shot my mother’s brand new VW, big hole in the right door. My life flashed before my eyes, because I didn’t think I had much of it left. When my dad came home I showed him the door; he looked at it, then at me and said “Oh, don’t ever do that again,” and he walked away. Later, at dinner, I asked is that all your are going to say? Yes, he said, you already went through enough hell before I got home. That’s how I came to know unconditional love.
Tonight we remember and celebrate God’s flowing, loving gaze upon us and our call is to live the image of the manger and cast that loving gaze upon one another, and all who we encounter; not seeing anyone as useless, of no account but by raising them up by connecting them into the flow of God’s unconditional love — the only Word that has lasting significance.
One final word must be spoken and it is to those of you who find yourselves in church only once or twice a year. You are the most important people here this evening. We Paulists and all of us here at Old St. Mary’s hope you see, hear or feel something that may draw you back more often. All are welcome here.
I
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