Archbishop’s Journal: Incarnation continues throughout tim
- December 06, 2009
Archbishop George H. Niederauer delivered the following homily Dec. 6 at San Francisco’s St. Benedict Parish for the Deaf at St. Francis Xavier Church. Archbishop Niederauer’s text was simultaneously delivered in Sign Language.
Advent is a beautiful season, full of joy and anticipation. But it can be a bit confusing: are we commemorating a birth of 2000 years ago? Are we pretending to prepare for something that we know has really happened already? Is Christmas just “Happy Birthday, Jesus,” only 2000 years later?
Not at all. In Advent and Christmas time, the Catholic Church calls us to celebrate Incarnation: God becoming human in Jesus Christ, becoming human with us and for us. It’s true that God’s divine, eternal Son was born in Bethlehem once for all. But it is just as true that the Incarnation, like the mystery of the Cross, continues throughout all time, generation after generation. God is still becoming human by sharing his life with us. St. Augustine said that God became human so that human beings could become God, that is, daughters and sons of God, sharing in his divine life through Jesus Christ.
In the gospel reading from Luke we are told about John the Baptizer, the cousin of Jesus, who prepared the Lord’s way by proclaiming, in so many words, “The king is coming! Mend not your roads but your lives!” Luke makes sure we know exactly when this all happened; he tells us who was emperor, who was governor, who was high priest. But what was happening in Christ was happening for all times: “all humanity shall see the salvation of God,” all peoples of all places and times.
John the Baptizer announced a baptism of repentance, leading to forgiveness of sins, if people would only change their hearts and their lives, or better, let God change those hearts and lives. And that’s the challenge to us. Christ wants to bring forgiveness and new life to all. But we hang back: we don’t want to give up our sins, and we don’t want to forgive the sins of others against us. We favor spiritual potholes, rough ways, high mountains. Jesus Christ was good news for people who would let him change their minds and hearts, change their habits and patterns of behavior. But Jesus would not force that change on them. They had to choose freely to let him into their lives.
That’s why our second reading is so important. It is from the opening words of St. Paul’s letter to his converts in Philippi. It is far and away St. Paul’s happiest letter. True, he is writing from prison, but he is not focusing on his own problems.
Instead, Paul is concentrating on the Philippians. Every report he has heard has told him of the success of his preaching among them. They have taken the good news of Jesus Christ seriously. They have let their faith in Jesus change the way they behave toward one another; they have dropped many of their old bad habits of self-indulgence and self-centeredness; they have made strong efforts to share their new faith with others in their families and neighborhoods.
Paul is a proud father of the faith life of his converts. He tells them he is proud of them and all the progress they have made. But he also tells them that their growth in the life of Christ never ends, that it has a long way to go. We can listen in and apply these truths to ourselves. We are not to keep the faith to ourselves, but to share it. We are not to settle into a safe, comfortable routine but always to look for new ways to live as Jesus calls us to live.
Hear what Paul is saying to us: “I am sure of this much – that he who has begun the good work in you will carry it through to completion, right up to the day of Christ Jesus. My prayer is that your love may more and more abound.” That is, the winding ways must be made straight – we are to choose forgiveness and reconciliation, and reject gossiping, pigeon-holing and writing off others we don’t like. “So that with a clear conscience and blameless conduct you may learn to value the things that really matter.” Mountains must be leveled – don’t seek popularity, approval, power, success, your own way, winning at any price, just because others seek them. “It is my wish that you may be found rich in the harvest of justice which Jesus Christ has ripened for you.” Potholes need filling in – let’s examine our physical and verbal treatment of others, our ridicule, contempt, anger, getting even, impatience and belittling – where seldom is heard an encouraging word.
This season of Advent is a happy reminder that Jesus is always seeking to be born and to grow stronger in our lives. The giving of gifts at Christmas is a good thing. However, as Catholic Christians, it is Jesus Christ who is the gift who keeps on giving – giving himself to us, if we let him, and giving himself to others through us, if we let him. As we dash through the malls this month, let’s also take time to shop through our memories, our feelings, and our attitudes toward life and people. Let’s look in there and ask Jesus to pick out a change or two that would make a perfect gift of life to Christ, and even to someone else or ourselves.
In the gospel this morning St. Luke began his story about John the Baptizer this way: “In the fifteenth year of the rule of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was procurator of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee…during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God was spoken to John son of Zechariah in the desert.” Why shouldn’t you and I say something like the following about this season of Advent 2009: “In the fourth year of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, when Barack Obama was President of the United States, Arnold Schwarzenegger Governor of California, Gavin Newsom Mayor of San Francisco, the word of God in Jesus Christ is spoken again to you and me.”
From December 11, 2009 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
