Fr. Neil Pfeifer

Wise People Still Seek Him.

Epiphany (with a capital E) is celebrated twelve days after Christmas. We rejoice that Jesus came for the benefit of ALL humanity. The Magi represent the people of the world who believe that Jesus is The Messiah. Anyone who seeks Him and has faith in Him will not be sent away.

Epiphany (with a lower case e) is a sudden revelation or breakthrough, usually initiated by an ordinary incident. An epiphany is sometimes called the “Aha!” moment. Many television crime-solvers have epiphanies. By seeing an overdue library book, for instance, they are suddenly able to explain who committed the crime, how, and why. In a real life example, Helen Keller had an epiphany when Anne Sullivan and a water pump led her to the connection between objects and their names.

So when did you have your epiphany that Jesus came for you? When did you first understand, not with your head but with your heart, that He gave His life for you? Or are you still waiting for the “Oh, I get it now” moment? Don’t wait any longer. Use Epiphany to kickstart your journey to the Lord. Spoiler alert: seek and you shall find. Once you have your epiphany, offer yourself as a gift to the Lord each and every day -in thankfulness, in supplication, in repentance, and in joy.

Mary, Mother of our Family

We learn a lot from our parents, and for many of us our mother plays a critical role in making us the people we become. For young children, a mother is literally a source of life. Moms teach first words, catch us when we fall, and maybe even teach us how to pray. Moms are a gift for us, and while some of us may have a strained relationship with our mother, or perhaps no relationship at all, we know that (in the ideal setting) the relationship between a mother and child is, in many ways, sacred.

Jesus had a mother that was specifically chosen for Him, and like any mother she taught Jesus how to walk, talk, and even pray. Mary was there for the big moments of Jesus’ life — including His death and resurrection. From the very beginning, Mary knew that she was carrying the promised messiah — a savior for humanity — but she didn’t know the full picture. She knew Jesus was destined for great things and would save us, but how or when were beyond Mary. Remember, Mary was human and while she was the Mother of God (a title we celebrate on this solemnity) that doesn’t mean she had superhuman powers or could see the future. Mary was a normal mother with some very extraordinary experiences.

In the Gospel, we read and hear that shepherds came to honor Jesus, a child they had no other connection to, and they glorified and praised God when they saw Him. Can you imagine being present hours after a new child is born and suddenly the hospital room is crowded with strange people who start singing? Many mothers (especially new mothers) would justifiably be freaked out. Instead Mary “kept all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). There is a secret to discipleship in that single line.

Mary is the Mother of God. She bears the messiah in her womb, gives birth to Him, raises Him, watches His ministry, and is even present at His death. She is a witness to His resurrection. But all the moments leading up to that, Mary didn’t know what might happen next. Instead she trusted God and reflected on the work that God was doing in each moment. We can easily get caught up in “what comes next” in our lives and miss what God is doing right now. Instead of trying to tell the future or look ahead, we could find much more peace and joy if we adopted a heart like Mary — a heart that “keeps all these things” — trusting that God knows the journey and will lead us to where we need to be.

The Prince of Peace Wants It To Happen Again

During the height of the Second World War there was a prisoner-of-war camp near the town of Warrington, England. Like all English towns during the war years, Warrington was blacked out at night to avert possible German air attacks. When Christmas approached, no colored lights lit up windows and trees.

And so, as the Catholics of Warrington trudged through the streets to Midnight Mass, no Christmas lights lit their way. By 11:30 the church was filled except for the front three rows on each side. Promptly at 11:50 a group of German and Italian prisoners filed into the church, flanked by armed guards, and filled the empty rows. At 11:55 Fr. Rochford, the parish priest, appeared and announced to the congregation that he had bad news. The Mass would have to be celebrated without music. The parish’s only organist had taken ill. A groan rose up from the congregation.

At this point a German prisoner turned to a guard and said something. The guard went up and spoke to Fr. Rochford. The priest nodded his head in agreement. Then the prisoner went over to the organ and sat down. Slowly and reverently he began to play in a way that brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the church.

That night, despite the darkened streets and windows, the spirit of Christmas lit up the town of Warrington in a way that people would never forget. That night in Warrington, people—friends and enemies—saw each other as God intended them to be: one family. That night in Warrington, the words of the prophet Isaiah, which we have heard during this Advent season, came alive for the people of Warrington: “The wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest.” That night, the Prince of Peace came to the people of Warrington.

We enjoy stories of enemies becoming friends, particularly when, as in the case of Warrington, many years have passed and have dimmed the pain and tragedy of war, and the enemies of that conflict have been our friends and allies ever since. But when we are in the midst of war, as our Nation is now, when the enemies are still enemies, when we are “at war” with members of our families, our colleagues or neighbors, then stories like that of Warrington seem like fairy tales: simplistic, saccharine, and devoid of reality.

But that’s why we need stories like that of Warrington: to remind us that the Prince of Peace who rested in that town so many years ago, is the same Prince of Peace that comes to us on Christmas night. If He could bring together in peace enemies literally at war with one another, can He not come again this Christmas and let His peace rest upon us? Upon the world now in armed conflict in Russia and Ukraine, with terrorist attacks unleashing death, fear and mistrust in the US? Upon our families, our friends, colleagues and neighbors? Upon all the grudges, bad memories, mistrust and hurt that lies so near the surface in so many of our relationships? When we call Jesus, the Prince of Peace, it is not so much a title of who He is, as it is a description of what He does, not just in the past, not just in Warrington, but also in Jamestown, Windsor, and Buchanan, and in you and me. May the Prince of Peace reign in our hearts this Christmas.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace

In this world, we experience a whirlwind of change. How do we envision our future in the midst of this?

During Advent, we can look to a woman who also experienced change. Mary, the mother of Jesus, completely surrendered herself to God’s will. She had to convince herself, her community, and the man to whom she was promised that she was carrying out that will. In the midst of chaos, she had to envision that there was a future— that she would be mother to the Son of God.

What can she teach us?

· Openness: Mary was open to the Spirit. To God working through her, she said “may it be done” (Luke 1:38). By changing the ways we stand in solidarity with people around the globe, can we be more open to doing God’s will?

· Strength: Mary was strong and committed. She possessed the courage to tell Joseph that she was carrying a child, knowing that she could face scorn or punishment. How can we show the strength to respond to God’s call?

· Hope: Jesus’s birth represents hope. Out of the complicated situation of an unwed mother was born the Alpha and Omega. Out of political wrangling and citizens’ rallies can come good. Where can we find and foster hope in ourselves, our communities, and our world?

O Come Emmanuel, May We Recognize You.

Today’s gospel begins with John the Baptist sending his disciples to Jesus. They are supposed to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah. Isn’t that a little bit odd? John already knew the answer. Why did he send them to ask Jesus?

Like any really good teacher, John the Baptist was nudging the disciples to find the answer on their own. He put the idea in their head that Jesus could be the Messiah. By the time they reached Jesus, I’m sure those disciples had discussed, analyzed, and evaluated everything they knew about the Messiah from scripture and added in all they had heard about Jesus. When Jesus replied to their inquiry, He confirmed the conclusion they had already reached. John the Baptist helped the disciples recognize Jesus in a way they may not have considered on their own.

If John the Baptist sent us out today, where would we find the Messiah? Really think about it for a while. Do we recognize His presence in those around us and, more importantly, do others recognize Him in us? How hard would they have to look?

O Come Emmanuel, May We Rekindle Your Spirit.

In today’s gospel, John the Baptist admonishes the Pharisees and Sadducees (the learned men of the day). He basically tells them that saying you are a believer is not the same as living as a believer. Advent is a good time for us to do our own self-review. Have we become complacent in our belief? Do we say we are Christians yet allow our actions to say otherwise?

Jesus understands our struggle to live a life of faith in our very secular world. In His human form, He was able to overcome all evil. In order for us to follow His example, we need the gifts of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and awe of the Lord). By using these gifts for the betterment of others, we will transform the world and generate more charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faith, modesty, self-control and chastity. In Church lingo, these are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Perhaps some of these gifts and fruits have been getting a little dusty within us. Just like we clean our homes when company is coming, it may be time to do some internal dusting in preparation for Jesus’ coming. We need to rekindle the spark of the Holy Spirit within us. Fan the flames. Let the light of God within us shine for all to see. 

We Do Not Need to Live in Fear If We Trust in God.

We sometimes worry too much about the future. This is especially true in our modern age of near-instant communication. Hostage situation in Utah? We know it within minutes. Terrorist kidnapping in the Middle East? We get play-by-play updates. Every time we turn on the news (or check the apps on our phones), we are given warnings about climate change, school shootings, political deceptions, skirmishes that can lead to war, outbreaks of E. coli...the list goes on and on. Is it any wonder why we might live in fear?

There are those among us who act as fearmongers, spreading doom and gloom and insisting that the end is near. They use the tragedies of the world around us to warn that judgment day is at hand. Is that one more thing we should add to our growing list of fears? Jesus says no.

In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that catastrophes, famines, and other calamities are part of our earthly existence. They have been happening for thousands of years and will continue to do so. Jesus tells us not to be afraid—the faithful of God will be saved. There may be some rotten days ahead in our earthly lives, but this life is not our final destination. We are journeying toward eternal salvation and everlasting life. So, if we spend this life in service to God and focused on His will our future will take care of itself.

Our True Home is Heaven

When you check in for a flight, one crucial piece of information guides every decision you will make on your trip. This bit of data is rarely overlooked because it determines the flight you board, where your baggage ends up, and what part of the airport you walk (or, if you are late, run) toward. It is your final destination. Seems obvious, right? In today’s readings, the “final destination” isn’t as obvious to some people. The first reading is a little bit difficult to stomach; seven brothers are tortured in front of their mothers for refusing to eat pork. Their torturers couldn’t fathom why this family refused to eat the meat when it would mean their death. I mean, who doesn’t like bacon? For the family, it was more than a simple rule – the command to avoid eating pork was given by God to Moses and was about more than a dietary restriction. It was about presenting one’s self as clean and holy as God commanded. They knew their final destination was heaven, and in the ultimate act of obedience they demonstrated to their captors that God had the real authority.

Paul challenges us to have “endurance” in the second reading. He was establishing new Christian communities, but when they encountered persecution or wickedness, they began to lose sight of their final destination. They were on a journey to heaven; and if they kept their eyes on that final destination, God would provide strength. Jesus points to the final destination of heaven when questioned about the resurrection. The Sadducees were trying to trap Jesus with a trick question, but he quickly turns the table. Our final destination is heaven, a place of unity with God. The Sadducees focused on our existence on Earth as the final destination but were missing something far more incredible – our true final destination is also our home in heaven.

A common misconception about heaven is that everyone in heaven is an angel, and that when humans die and go to heaven they become angels. Jesus debunks this myth; when we enter heaven we become like angels. We see God face-to-face and worship Him (Revelation 7:11, Isaiah 6:3) like angels do, but unlike angels we remain human – a unity of body and soul.

Are We on the Right Path?

We are all children of God and followers of Jesus. Yet sometimes, our actions are less than Christian. Whether at work, school, or in the community, there are times when we compromise our Christian beliefs. We may have an employer who harasses a co-worker, yet we turn a blind eye to keep our own job. We may know a classmate who cheats, but we say nothing in order to preserve our friendship. Or maybe we don’t speak up when undercharged at the store because we think the retailer overcharges for the merchandise anyway. We hush that little voice within that wants us to act differently.

In today’s gospel, we meet Zacchaeus. He is not just a tax collector, he is the chief tax collector. So it is very likely that much of Zacchaeus’ wealth was acquired from less-than-honest activities. Then he hears about Jesus. The encounter with Jesus changes his life. Zacchaeus repents of his unscrupulous ways and makes reparations to those whom he has cheated. He is no the new path, the path to salvation.

So when we find ourselves in a situation and we feel some niggling inside, it just might be Jesus inviting us to change our path. We must be true to our Christian values and stand up for our beliefs. It may cost us a job or our friendship, but that pales in comparison to losing our salvation. Zacchaeus made some huge changes to get on the right path. Do you we need to do the same?

The Lord Hears The Cry of The Poor

Throughout the Bible, rich men are often portrayed as evil ones who take advantage of the poor. Other stories commend those who have little yet share it with others. Does that mean God favors the poor over everyone else? Will those of us who have some material comfort in this life be ignored by God?

God loves each and every one of us. Yet those who have nothing often seek God the most, calling out to Him in their hours of need. And He listens to them. To put that in perspective, think of parents with multiple children. They love all their children. But when one is in danger or has an emergency, the parents give their attention to that child first. It doesn’t mean they love their other children less. At other times, the other children will be the ones in need and will be the priority for the parents. In much the same way, God hears the cry of the poor - those who need His attention more at this particular moment.

Poor doesn’t always mean lacking money or basic necessities. People can be poor in spirit. Look at the tax collector in today’s gospel. We assume he was a rich man who probably cheated others to gain more wealth. Regardless of his circumstance, the tax collector humbles himself before God and acknowledges his sinfulness. God hears the depth of his anguish much more clearly than the pompous prayer of the Pharisee. The tax collector reveals his need for God in his life.