At a time when family has been under attack more than ever, Holy Mother Church has us reflect on God’s design for Family, by giving us the supreme example of the Holy Family. The devil has been on the attack of the family since the beginning of time, because the family is meant to be the worlds greatest example of the image of God’s love. The Trinity is a communion of persons in Love much like a family is designed by God to be a communion of love. So the enemy is on the prowl to destroy that image.  We see this in how the devil used King Harod today in our gospel.  He terrorized not only the Holy Family but all families in the ancient world.  King Harod destroyed children, and would destroy anyone who was a threat to his power to rule. And Jesus most definitely was a threat.  The Devil from the very beginning of time attacked the family. He went after Adam and Eve successfully separating them from God, and then from each other, with consequences carried into the next generation when Cain slewed his brother Able.  Today, we continue to see the attack on family. One need look no further than the dramatic decline in young couples who prefer cohabitation to substitute marriage.  Marriage is frequently looked upon as no more than a piece of paper.  There are a number of factors that have contributed to the decline in marriage.  The divorce rate is about 50% for marriages in the United States and is just as high in the church. The internet with pornography has been a contributing factor.  But there are other factors as well.  For one the Church needs to do a better job of preparing couples for marriage.  Relativism is on the rise, and God has been pushed out of our society, and one consequence we see is the rise in same sex unions, and a move to redefine what marriage should be.  And if anyone speaks up and sides with God’s biblical view and design for marriage they are called homophobic. There is even a push for polygamy happening in many states and societies across the globe.

We encounter two names in our readings today. Emmanuel and Jesus. We will ponder these two names as they tell us a lot of what Jesus seeks to do in us, and through us. The first name we encounter is Emmanuel.  In the first reading from Isaiah, we heard a dramatic scene where Isaiah the prophet went to King Ahaz of Judah.  During that time, the capital of Judah, was being sieged by the kingdoms of Israel (Ephraim and Syria.)  Ahaz was about to make an alliance with the brutal kingdom of a Syria so that the Assyrians would come and liberate Jerusalem. Isaiah went to Ahaz to have him not seal that deal, but to have more trust in God than in the King of Syria. But Ahaz wouldn’t listen. Instead, he went out and sought the advice of lots of other prophets who would tell him what he wanted to hear. And that’s why God told Ahaz through Isaiah to ask for a sign as “deep as the netherworld, or high as the sky!" On the surface it kind of looked like Ahaz suddenly got religion. As if he didn’t want to tempt the Lord. But of course that really wasn’t the case.  He just didn’t want to ask for a sign because then once it would be granted to him, it would be much more difficult for him to ignore what the Lord was telling him. So, Isaiah let’s Ahaz know he is now wearying God just like he was wearying his people,  And  then Isaiah tells him that God will give him this sign; "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel." The sign was more in the name given to this child; Emmanuel, meaning, "God is with us." Ahaz ignored the sign and went ahead and did what he was determined to do. He ignored God's counsel, and of course destruction ensued, Assyria was defeated by the Babylonians, the Babylonians took possession of Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, murdered many residents and transported those who survived off as slaves. God-with-us was really not the God Ahaz had in mind. Definitely not the God he could relate to.  And even today many struggle with this view of God.   Which is what is so beautiful about the incarnation. Seven centuries later after Isaiah’s prophesy, the miraculous events of Jesus's conception and birth takes place. And as we hear today in our gospel, "all this took place to fulfill what had been spoken to the Lord through the prophet, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, “which means, ”God-Is-with-us." From the time the prophecy of Isaiah was given, it was always linked to the coming of the Messiah.  A few chapters later in Isaiah, there is another description of this child to be Born to us, “A Son given to us," who would have dominion on his shoulder and be called by others,”Wonder-Counselor, God hero, Father-forever, and Prince of Peace."

Today we give honor to Christ the King. This Solemnity is a relatively new one in the church.   It began in 1925 when Pope Pius XI, for very good reasons instituted this special day. Fifty years earlier, Nietzsche a German philosopher had just declared God was dead.  Hitler was rising to power in Germany, and had already become the leader of the Nazi party. Mussolini was in power in Italy. And In 1924, right after Lennon died, Joseph Stalin took power in Russia.  We had a totalitarian culture of a denial of God rising up and surrounding all of Europe. This was a call to bring God back into our World that was so much abandoning God. This was a message our World needed to hear then and very much needs to hear today.   So the Church gives us our readings today and they teach us so much about the truths of Gods Kingdom. Our second reading from Paul’s letter rather triumphantly characterizes and describes Christ in this way, “All things were created through him and for him.  He is before all things and in all things hold together… For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.”  And then our gospel contrasts this message with Jesus enthroned upon the Cross.

In our gospel today Jesus focusses specifically on the sacrament of Holy Matrimony.  The Sadducees ask the question of who’s wife will she be? Marriage he answers is a reality for this world, but not for the next.  And that is because marriage has two purposes, Love and LIFE.  Marriage has a purpose of sanctification of the spouses, and the procreation and education of children.  In heaven, men and women will no longer need to be sanctified, and there will be no new children.  But while there will be no intimate union of man and women in heaven, there will be love!  Marriage in this life is meant to prepare spouses and children to enter into that love. In this month of November God wants to enkindle within us, and awaken a hunger for heaven, inviting us to live a deeper more personal relationship of love with Him, and enter into a deeper communion of love with him and our brothers and sisters.  The stronger our desire to live with him in this love the more resolute we will be to stay on track and not be swayed by temptations that would knock us off this road to eternity.  Our first reading today from the book of Maccabees illustrates this beautifully.  We see this same faith and courage from all the martyrs throughout time leading into this present day.  Christians today are being martyred by even greater numbers.  I often think of the martyrdom of Christians in the Middle East by the Isis terrorist groups.   So, today let us contemplate this reality of heaven, so that when we are called home and death comes knocking at our door, we will be ready to enter into the joys of heaven. To enter into the Love of God that will be stronger even than death.  It is a love that will never end.

On August 5, 2010, 33 miners in Chile were trapped A half a mile underground for more than two months. For the first 17 days, there was no word on their fate. As the days passed, Chileans grew increasingly skeptical that any of the miners would survive - let alone all of them. During this 17 days the miners spent 24 hours a day of non-stop pounding, 24 hours a day pounding until somebody finally heard them. On August 22 tiny borehole reach them that was reported to be about the width of a grapefruit. This served as a lifeline to pass hydration gels, water and food. The first thing the miners asked for was Bibles, rosaries, and prayer cards, Of course letters from their families were sent as well. This is an incredible demonstration of persistence isn't it? The miners did not give up on a miracle to be rescued. They spent a record 69 days in the hot, humid bowels of the collapsed mine and forth their story of survival captured global attention. Some 1500 journalist were at the mine to report the rescue operation which was broadcast live around the world, including dramatic live images of the miners hugging rescuers who traveled down the shaft to their refuge deep in the mine.   Engineers from all over the world came to the site to help. The whole world came together for this event. On October 13, 2010 the first miner was rescued. Approximately 22 1/2 hours after the first minor was rescued the last one came out. Church bells rang out throughout Chili when the first miner was extricated and Chileans were glued to their televisions through the night, proud of their nation's ability to save men.  I think, if you were to ask the miners how their rescue happened, I bet they would tell you, "God got us out." We asked and he answered.  It's the same God that's waiting to hear us. They prayed as if their lives depended on it. And it did right? Well, you know our lives depend on it too. Think about it. Maybe not like getting out of the mineshaft, but getting out of this world, and arriving one day at heaven. Our lives really do depend on it. Heaven is waiting on those who will submit their lives to God.

Today is about being grateful for all the many different gifts God has given us. He’s given us so much. He really has! Most especially he gave himself, by death on the cross. The gift of eternal life. I wonder how he feels when we so often walk through our daily lives focussed on our next problem, forgetting his many gifts, and acting as if he didn’t exist.  We don’t want to take his gift for granted like the 9 lepers in our gospel, who departed without any acknowledgement or gratitude. We come to this Mass to give thanks, as we celebrate the Eucharist at every Mass.  The word Eucharist in Greek, actually means thanksgiving.

The battle ground can seem impossible, but Jesus says faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. The battle begins with life at conception, because if we can’t get that piece right nothing else will matter.  Since 1973 in the Supreme Court decision, of Roe V Wade, almost 61,000,000 children have perished in our country alone through abortion.  I did the math and that is like wiping out the whole population of Columbus Ohio 56 times! That’s one baby in every 23 seconds. And in the span of this 20 minute Mass so far, almost 50 children will have been murdered.   I love the story of Mother Teresa of Calcutta speaking at a National prayer breakfast in 1994, in the presence of the President and Vice President of the United States, all of whom supported abortion on demand.  She fearlessly said, “the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child - it is a direct killing of the innocent child- murdered by the mother herself.  And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another.”  Mother Teresa continued after she said this is not love, when a mother can kill her own child, she addressed the fathers and said, “the father is told he does not have to take any responsibility for the child he has brought into the world. But that he can take any type of violence to get whatever he wants.”  The next year Mother Teresa traveled to a hospital in Boston, and she entered the sick children’s ward, where she picked up a sick infant and went straight outside in front of television cameras, she said slowly and deliberately, “Jesus said that whoever receives a little childlike this in my name receives me!” We can no longer look the other way.  We must all get involved in respecting life at all stages from conception to natural death.

The call to Matthew who was a "publican" by profession, a tax collector for the imperial Roman authorities: And was considered a public sinner by the Jews, absolutely considered the worst of the worst of sinners. emphasizes Jesus’ plan of redemption, inviting all men to the Supper of the Lamb; regardless of culture or how bad of a sinful past one may have. But Jesus saw Matthew through the eyes of mercy and chose him. He said follow me, which means Matthew was called in following Jesus to imitate the pattern of Jesus’ life.  We are called to be imitators and walk with Jesus too.  Matthew was called, we are called… Matthew was formed by Jesus for three years as he travelled and learned from our Master.  We too are formed by Jesus in the time we spend with Jesus in our prayer, study, liturgy and worship.  Matthew was then sent to spread the gospel message.  We are called to worship, serve and evangelize announcing the gospel and glorifying the Lord with our lives.  We are sent to give a message of mercy.  “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.”  Jesus says, “learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

The Way of Humility

Last Sunday Jesus told us that he came to set us on fire.  We learned lukewarm not good enough and that Lukewarm is the greatest enemy to Christianity.  A friend of mine last week asked me a great question, He said, “how do you stay on fire in a world that is always trying to beat you down? And I think today Jesus gives us the answer.  The key word in todays gospel message is, strive. I found out in my study that “strive” in Greek is the same word for “agonize.” Jesus agonized as he gave up his life for all of us.  So the gate is really the cross.   We live in a culture today where many think salvation is easy.  Jesus says’ the gate is wide and many will take the easy road that leads to destruction, the gate is narrow and hard and only a few will take the road that leads to eternal life. There are no loopholes to entering through the gate.  It’s an uphill struggle as we strive to climb this road. There is no easy road around it.  Jesus calls us to strive always, to “agonize” in our efforts to enter through the narrow gate.