Bulletins by St. Clare Parish (Page 14)

The Jews desperately hoped for a Messiah, the Savior who would rid them of the interference of the Romans who occupied Israel. They wanted an earthly king who brought stability and peace. On Palm Sunday, they proclaimed the Lord with loud Hosannas: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” And what did they get? A suffering Savior Who is nailed to the “throne” of the Cross, on which were written the words, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The images of God’s royal reign are not of riches and power, but of servant, shepherd, and, yes, crucifixion. Saint Paul hands on the to Colossian Christian community a hymn, which we hear in the second reading today. The last lines are these: He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be supreme. For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven. This is the Christ we proclaim today and in Whose reign we seek to live. In proclaiming Jesus Christ as King of the Universe, we need to allow Him to be King of our hopes and dreams and hearts. Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. It is for us the only true American feast, and it is good that we try to observe it by coming together to celebrate as we give thanks to God for all that we are and all that we have. I hope your schedule allows you to be with us for the 10:00 am Mass, which will have elements in English, Spanish and Portuguese. At that Mass, we invite you to bring non-perishable food to support the work of our Saint Vincent de Paul Society – as part of the Procession of Gifts. Also, the collection that day will go toward this work. Next weekend, we enter into a new liturgical year as we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. During that season, we proclaim Jesus Christ, the One who is, who was and who is to come. The past and future meet in the present. We look not only to history or some unknown future in search of the Lord. We look around, to welcome Him into our daily lives, in and through the people we encounter each day. May our Advent 2022 be an opportunity for us to discover the many ways God is present to us.

We hear more about the “end times” in the readings this Sunday. I repeat what I wrote last weekend: That time, “the Day of the Lord,” is not to be feared by those who live their lives well. However, “all the proud and all evildoers will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire” (Malachi 3:19). The choice, though sometimes complicated, belongs to each of us. Will we live according to the virtues of truth, justice, peace and forgiveness, or will we choose another path, one that does not incorporate the way of the Lord? Even if we have occasionally walked this way, the Lord calls us to renewal and conversion. The coming season of Advent gives us the opportunity to reflect on the way we live in light of the coming of the Lord long ago and His breaking into our lives each and every day.

The readings these last Sundays of the liturgical year (which ends Saturday after Thanksgiving), leading up to the Feast of Christ the King, are about “end things”. . .the end of our lives and the end of the world. For the Christian, neither are to be feared, for these days usher in our salvation and the salvation of the world. For us, the “Day of the Lord” need not be feared, for it brings life and healing: “But for you who fear my name, there will arise the sun of justice with its healing rays” (Malachi 3:20a). I repeat something that should be familiar to us: We will not be judged by the way we die, but according to how we have lived. God’s grace, God’s own life in us, continues to call us to live in humility, service and love. While this is not always easy and sometimes we fail in our attempts, God leads and guides us along the right path, offering us hope and healing. During November, we pray in a special way for our beloved dead and for all who have gone before us. The Book of the Names of the Dead will remain in the sanctuary, in front of the Easter Candle, for all to write the names of those whom you would like to be included in the prayers of the parish this month.

Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector, wanted to see Jesus; he was curious, so he climbed a tree for a good view. His story, from the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, could have ended there, but it was only the beginning. Jesus saw him, called him by name and went to Zacchaeus’ house for dinner. Jesus was more than curious about the tax collector; He was looking for him; the Lord was intent on saving him, despite the murmurings of the “good people.” Our individual histories mirror – or echo – this. The Lord calls each of us by name, for God wants nothing more than our sharing His life (“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” [John 10:10].) In the end, the mission of the Church is the proclamation of this good news and, through the sacraments, to guide us in the ways of God’s life, even as we continue to share this message “to the ends of the earth.” Each of us shares this mission, which begins at home. . .in each of our homes. The Gospel is not a weapon, but an invitation. Faith cannot be forced, but learned from the example of our lives and the joy of the Good News. Just as He was looking for Zacchaeus, so the Lord continues to look for us and, in a special way, for those who have wandered from Him over the years. This is true good news for us to share.

“Jesus addressed this parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised everyone else. “Two people went up to the temple area to pray. . .” The “righteous” Pharisee did not pray to God, but “to himself,” for he was truly full of himself, his own goodness, religious observance, and so much more. The other person, a tax collector, really prayed to God: “Be merciful to me, a sinner.” Because of his penitential attitude, he went home justified, for “the one who exalts oneself will be humbled and the one who humbles oneself will be exalted.” Sometimes, good people fall into the frame of mind of the Pharisee, so taken with their goodness, that it blinds them to the reality of their faults and the need to seek pardon from the Lord. As Pope Francis teaches, “the face of God is mercy,” but to experience this compassion, we need to be humble – honest – before the Lord. If we judge ourselves according to the perceived faults of others, we will be lost. Rather, we should strive to be responsive to the call to holiness in the best ways possible for each of us.

Moses surely appreciated the sentiment expressed in the Beatles’ lyrics, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” For the Israelites, it was Moses’ persistence and the support of others that won the battle for them In the gospel reading, a seemingly helpless widow confronts an unjust judge with a persistence that finally wore him down. Under pressure, the judge commits to rendering a just decision. Jesus uses the parable as an assurance that God will act swiftly and justly on behalf of those who call upon the Lord, especially those who face injustice. In the Church, we are committed to a “preferential option for the poor,” which is defined as “Caring for those who are less well off is everyone’s responsibility. Preferential care should be shown to vulnerable and marginalized people, whose needs and rights are given special attention in God’s eyes” (Caritas Australia). Rather than being an afterthought, the marginalized should be a primary focus of our ministry and outreach. Everything we do should have an essential component of care for those on the fringes of society. . .of our families.

At first glance, the connection between the First Reading and the Gospel this Sunday is the cure of lepers, Naaman (in 2 Kings) and the ten (in the Gospel of Luke). But the lesson they teach us is far more. Each received the gift of healing, yet the “gift within the gift” was the desire to give thanks, as did Naaman and only one of the ten whom Jesus healed. If we allow it within ourselves, giving thanks can be the rhythm of our lives. It is not a sign of weakness; our realization of our dependence upon God and others is, in fact, a mature understanding of how we are connected. The Eucharist, which gathers us each Sunday, means “thanksgiving,” – primarily for the saving work of Jesus, but also for all the other graces that we share. One such grace is the Sacrament of Confirmation that we will celebrate in our parish this Sunday. We welcome Bishop Oscar Cantú among us and thank him, not only for bestowing the gift of the Holy Spirit upon our candidates, but for his leadership in our local Church. At the same time, we give thanks to our candidates for Confirmation (in Latin, “confirmandi”), their sponsors, parents, families and catechists for their dedication to the process of formation, which began last January. And we congratulate them on the completion of the Christian Initiation that began at their Baptism. May they continue to grow closer to the Lord and the Church now and always.

People, maybe including many of us, often expect acknowledgment and even praise for our accomplishments. But if we are followers of the Lord, becoming servants – as He was – then whatever we do is our duty or even our privilege. This is not to disregard the good that we do, but to emphasize the faith that underpins our lives and all that we do. According to Jesus, all we need is “faith the size of a mustard seed.” Walking by faith and living the same, our duty of service to one another becomes not a burden, but even a joy. And this joy, which is not the same as superficial happiness, should be seen by all.