Homily for Mark 1:29-39

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons  throughout the whole of Galilee.

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In this episode, seminarian Timothy Berryhill from the Archdiocese of Chicago discusses his vocation story and how a career in the military prepared him for life as a seminarian. He also recounts a harrowing experience that ultimately led him to the Church and put him on a path to the seminary.

Tim also credits his experiences at an Exploring the Priesthood weekend with ultimately solidifying his decision to enter seminary. Click here to learn more about EPW and the upcoming discernment events in 2021.

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The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) | Homily for Luke 2:1-14

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

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Audio courtesy of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Libertyville, Ill.

Listen to this reflection from Father John Kartje on the planetary conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn that will visible on Monday, December 21. Read more of his thoughts below.

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Perspective matters. The personal significance of what we observe has everything to do with how we observe it. If you happen to be outside in the early evening on Monday, December 21, you will notice a remarkably bright spot of light in the southwestern sky—brighter than any natural phenomenon you have likely seen in the sky other than the sun and moon. Depending on the atmospheric conditions and how good your eyesight is, you will either see that it comprises two bright points of light, extremely close together, or else that it appears as one fuzzy blob. Those are the data, upon which all careful observers can agree. Now let’s add some perspective.

            If you’re someone who rarely notices the night sky, but you do happen to glance up on the evening of the 21st, the bright light will suddenly grab your attention and you will likely conclude that something is not normal.

            If you’re outdoors pretty regularly, then you will have been noticing for the past several weeks that two of the brightest “stars” in the sky have been drawing closer each night, with one poised to overtake the other within a few days. While you can appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of what will transpire on December 21, its occurrence will not take you by surprise.

            Finally, if you’re an avid astronomy buff, then you know that on December 21 the planets Jupiter and Saturn will reach their point of closest approach to each other (known as a “conjunction”) as they orbit around the sun. From our vantage point on Earth, they will appear to be on a collision course when projected on the night sky, even though they will remain nearly half a billion miles apart. And while this event will be noteworthy, you will know that it is hardly unprecedented and has actually been expected.

            Jupiter and Saturn achieve conjunction roughly once every twenty years, but their alignment as viewed from Earth does not always appear in the evening sky. Sometimes it is washed out by daylight. Furthermore, the degree of observed separation between the planets varies slightly from one conjunction to another. What makes the event this week so special is that the planets can be clearly viewed in the evening sky with an extremely small degree of separation (about one-fifth of the diameter of a full moon). Between the years 0 and 3000 A.D. this happens only 7 times. The last such occurrence was March 4, 1226 A.D. But it will happen again in a mere 60 years! It’s just a matter of the basic physics of orbiting bodies. Furthermore, if you are struck by the fact that this conjunction is occurring on the very day of the winter solstice, that is also just a coincidence of the physics. Conjunctions can be observed at various times throughout the year.

            Many have tried to attribute various degrees of fateful significance to the conjunctions of the planets. It has even been suggested that a conjunction may have accounted for the Star of Bethlehem reported in Matthew’s gospel. But neither the dating nor the appearance of the conjunctions that occurred near the time of Jesus’ birth seem to work. There were conjunctions in 7 B.C. and 14 A.D., and in each of those cases the separation between Jupiter and Saturn was large enough for the naked eye to clearly distinguish two separate light sources, rather than one bright “star”. Furthermore, conjunctions do not suddenly appear unexpectedly. They result from the planets’ visible trajectories moving across the sky for several weeks, slowly converging and then moving apart. The conjunction itself does not “travel” since the planets are only aligned for a short time. This does not match the behavior of the star described by Matthew, which suddenly appeared and seemingly moved in advance of the Magi.

            Even though it might not be a herald of the Second Coming, the conjunction of 2020 points to a profound truth of the spiritual life. The heavens constantly proclaim the glory of God (Psalm 19) whether conjunctions are happening or not. God’s grace, like the planets, is always present to us, whether we choose to receive it or not. And sadly, the cries of the poor are always resounding in our ears, whether we choose to hear them and respond or not.

Please enjoy this audio version of the 2020 Sounds of the Season Christmas Concert, featuring the Mundelein Seminary Christmas Concert Choir. Current conditions forced us to reimagine this beloved annual tradition as a virtual event, but we hope you will be inspired by these timeless carols and accompanying reflections taken from an apostolic letter by Pope Francis. Please continue to keep Mundelein Seminary students, faculty and staff In your prayers, and have a blessed Advent.

Watch the video version of the concert: http://usml.edu/event/christmas

Download the concert program PDF: https://bit.ly/2LaXXKS

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Gabriel’s Message

O Holy Night

Veni, Jesu

O come, All Ye Faithful

Silent Night

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Permission to reprint, podcast, and/or stream the music in this service obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A-704434. All rights reserved.

Reflections condensed from ADMIRABILE SIGNUM, a 2019 apostolic letter by Pope Francis.

Special thanks to our seminarian audio engineers: Matthew Cooke ‘24 (Diocese of Wichita) and Caleb Kuestersteffen ‘24 (Diocese of Wichita)

The Second Sunday of Advent | Homily for Mark 1:1-8

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.” John the Baptist appeared in the desert proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People of the whole Judean countryside and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey. And this is what he proclaimed: “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

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Audio courtesy of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Libertyville, Ill.

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First Sunday of Advent | Homily for Mark 13:33-37

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come. It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”

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Audio courtesy of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Libertyville, Ill.

Homily for Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

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