Homily for the Presentation of the Lord

Redde Altissimo Vota Tua[1]

Homily for the Solemn Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Sunday, February 2^nd, 2014

Parish of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (Union Street)

Rev. Michael Taylor

And I live, now not I, but Christ liveth in me.

And though I live now in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God,

who loved me, and delivered himself for me.[2]

            The feast of the presentation of the Lord is a powerful feast. There are so many different things to contemplate in this feast. First, we need to talk about the temple and the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark was the most sacred vessel to the people of Israel. The ark of the covenant held the ten commandments which the Lord God had carved into stone in the presence of Moses when Moses had gone up the mountain for forty days and forty nights.[3] These stone tablets were placed within a tabernacle, on which were carved two golden cherubim,[4] for just as the cherubim sat in the presence of God in heaven, so these would stand in the presence of God amidst his people.

            The tabernacle could only be held by the priests, men who were of the tribe of Levi. It was the Ark of the Covenant that split the waters of the river Jordan,[5] allowing the people of Israel to pass into the Promised Land after their forty years in the wilderness. It was the Ark of the Covenant that went before the people of Israel when they went to conquer the walls of Jericho.[6] There was no temple for the Ark originally, rather, it was a specially designed tent that served to shelter the Ark from the elements. It was in that tent where the young Samuel would hear the voice of God calling him.[7] It was so holy that to even touch the wooden beams used to carry it, would cause death. There is the story of King David trying to bring the ark of the covenant into the city of Jerusalem, when one of the soldiers, named Uz’zah, escorting it, when reaching out to steady it, was struck dead.[8] They figured God must be a bit touchy, so they left the Ark in the plains of Kiryat Ye’arim, about eleven to twelve miles from Jerusalem.

It would be left to King Solomon, son of David, to build an actual temple for the Ark of the Covenant around the year 957 BC. When the Babylonians captured Jerusalem around the year 597 BC they looted the temple, destroyed it, and the Ark of the Covenant was lost forever. A second temple would be built around 513 by Nehemiah but it lacked the Ark of the Covenant. So you have to understand that the people of Israel, when Herod built the third temple, felt this emptiness, this feeling that the sign of the covenant had been lost because of their idolatry. The prophets though foretold a time when a descendent of David would reestablish God’s presence, as the prophet Ezekiel foretold; I [the Lord] will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them; he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I the Lord have spoken. I will make with them a covenant of peace...[9]

So now imagine all the things that are unfolding. First, let us take a step back from today’s feast. Tradition held that the Mary was brought up in Jerusalem, which is how she would have first come to know Zechariah and Elizabeth who lived in the nearby town of Ein Kerem. The tradition holds that Mary’s parents, Anne and Ioachim had been so grateful to be given a child in their old age, that they dedicated Mary to service at the temple. As the tradition speculates, Zechariah, showed his cousin Mary around the temple. So now remember the Ark of the Covenant had been lost, but here is the new ark of the covenant, the one to whom the angel of the Lord will one day announce that she is to carry the Son of the Most High within her. The Ark of the Covenant has returned to the temple! And now today, the new Ark of the Covenant returns to the temple carrying within her arms the Word of God made flesh. Can you now see why Simeon cried out, Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, accordint to thy word in peace; because my eyes have seen the salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel? [10]

Still, what does it mean that Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple? First, I bring to your attention this consideration; you know how some people will say “I can just talk to God at home, why do I have to go to Church?” Well, Mary and Joseph could literally and in every sense of the term, talk to God at home and they still went to the temple. Why? Because responsibility and community. First responsibility. What does it mean to be dedicated to God? Pope Francis the other day mentioned, “Christ needs disciples not admirers.” What a profound statement. It’s easy to admire Christ. There are many teachings that are easily admirable. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; [11] blessed are the peacemakers, for they are the children of God; [12] and The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach good news to the poor.[13] It’s easy to admire the miracles and healings that Jesus carried out. Yet admiring Christ is not what Jesus calls us to do. He calls us to be his disciples, and that means accepting the hard things too; be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect; [14] if you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven- and then come follow me; [15] if any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. [16] Indeed we are told that he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal [17] and if any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.[18]

Now let’s talk about community. In Exodus, it tells that each child must be dedicated to the Lord,[19] and in Deuteronomy we read the great Shema Prayer, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart; and thy shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising.[20] So you see, being dedicated was not just an act of faith, it was a presenting of a child to the people of Israel. It’s one of the reasons that we baptize infants, because in addition to the forgiveness of sins,[21] the remission of punishment and the creation of the child of God,[22] a child is also being brought into the People of God,[23] which is the Church. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Baptism is the sacrament of faith.[24] But the faith needs the community of believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop. The catechumen or the godparent is asked; ‘What do you ask of God’s Church?’ the response is ‘faith!’” [25]

So when we talk about the community of believers, we are talking about the Church. To quote Pope Francis again, because he’s awesome, just the other day in his homily he stated, “It is an absurd dichotomy to love Christ without the Church; to listen to Christ, but not the Church.” [26] Now this at first seems a startling statement. Yet when we think about it, it makes perfect sense. It was Holy Mother Church which gathered the scriptures into the Bible. It was Holy Mother Church who through the preaching of the Apostles and their successors, the Bishops, who preached the gospel of Christ from the first days. It is the Church who throughout the ages has administered the Sacraments of Christ; baptism, anointing of the sick, Eucharist, Confession. We would not know of Christ were it not for the community of believers, the Church. When we say “I’m Catholic, but I disagree with this” or “I’m Catholic but I think that this teaching needs to change” you are being an admirer of Christ, not a disciple. Pope Francis said, “A person who is not humble cannot hear along with the Church. They hear only what she likes, what he likes.” [27] Let us pray for humility so that we might be responsible to our community, and in so doing, can help bring the Light of Christ into the world.

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[1] Psalm 49(50).14: Pay thy vows to the Most High

[2] Galatians 2.20

[3] cf. Deuteronomy 10.2: And I [the Lord] will write on the tables the words that were in them, which thou brokest [when Moses had discovered the people of Israel worshipping the golden calf], and thou shalt put them in the ark.

[4] cf. Exodus 25.18-22

[5] cf. Joshua 3.14-17

[6] cf. Joshua 6.4

[7] I Samuel 3.3ff

[8] II Samuel 6.6-7

[9] Ezekiel 34.23-25a

[10] Luke 2.29-32

[11] Matthew 7.12

[12] Matthew 5.9

[13] Luke 4.18

[14] Matthew 5.48

[15] Matthew 19.21

[16] Luke 14.26

[17] John 12.25

[18] Mark 8.34

[19] Exodus 13.1-2

[20] Deuteronomy 6.4-7

[21] Catechism of the Catholic Church §§1263-1264

[22] Catechism of the Catholic Church §§1265-1266

[23] Catechism of the Catholic Church §§1267-1270

[24] cf. Mark 16.16

[25] Catechism of the Catholic Church §1253

[26] Homily for 30JAN2014. http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/pope-francis-a-christian-without-the-church-is-an-absurd-dichotomy/

[27] Ibid.

Homily for the Baptism of the Lord

Sed Aqua Quam Ego Dabo[1]

Homily for the Baptism of the Lord

January 12^th, 2014

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Parish (Rosa Road)

Rev. Michael Taylor

Jesus answered [Nicodemus]: “Amen, Amen, I say to thee,

Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost,

He cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” [2]

            The question is often asked, ‘why did Jesus come at the point of time in which he did? Why not earlier? Why not later? Why at that particular part of the world?’ And the reason for this is that God was telling a story, so that when the Son came into the world, the groundwork would already be completed, the prophesies in place, waiting to be fulfilled. It is for these reasons too that we need to look back into the Old Testament to understand what the baptism of the Lord meant for the people of his time as well as for us today. Both the element of water and the river Jordan have a long history for the people of Israel.

And the spirit of God moved over the waters...

            In Genesis, in the first creation narrative, we read, and the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the spirit of God moved over the waters.[3] There was this idea that from water, order was created, a sense of balance established. This is a theme we find repeated throughout the scriptures. In flood story of Noah, we read that God has determined there is so much sin in the hearts of men that creation needs to be cleansed.[4] Yet after the flood, seeing the sacrifice of Noah, God promises that water will never be used to destroy all flesh again.[5] There is also a curious line in the narrative we would likely pass over though but which bears a second glance. The Lord, seeing the sacrifice of Noah, says, I will no more curse the earth for the sake of man: for the imagination and though of man’s heart are prone to evil from his youth…[6] This itself is a foreshadowing of our belief in Original Sin,[7] a reality that is conquered through the waters of Baptism.

            If one wishes to understand the Old Testament, one really must understand the exodus account of the people of Israel. This extends to the meaning of water. Moses, the great lawgiver, his very name means “the one taken from the water” [8] because his mother, in order to save his life, sent him down the river in a basket where he was discovered by a princess of Egypt and adopted as her own. The ten plagues began from the waters of the Nile [9] and indeed, so many of the critical interactions between Pharaoh and Moses take place around the waters of the river Nile. When the people of Israel were finally set free, the moved eastward and found themselves at the Red Sea. When they saw the armies of Egypt closing in behind them, they turned to Moses, saying: Perhaps there were no graves in Egypt, therefore thou hast brought us to die in the wilderness.[10] They were cheerful people. Moses told the people to trust in the Lord, and the Lord himself told Moses, Lift thou up thy rod, and stretch thy hand over the sea, and divide it; that the children of Israel may go through the midst of the sea on dry ground.[11]

If you haven't seen the Ten Commandments yet,
you should stop what you're doing, and go watch it…now.

            Yet no sooner are they across the sea then they begin to complain. They had just seen the Lord God of Israel complete the ten plagues upon the land of Egypt. They had just seen him part the Red Sea. And still they doubt God. They demand water. They are thirsty. This idea of thirst is a theme that plays throughout the Old Testament. Indeed it is their obstinacy that prevents Moses from entering into the promised land. We find it written, And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Take the rod, and assemble the people together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak to the rock before them, and it shall yield waters. And when thou hast brought forth water out of the rock, all the multitude and their cattle shall drink. Moses therefore took the rod, which was before the Lord, as he had commanded them, and having gathered together the multitude before the rock, he said to them: Hear, ye rebellious and incredulous: Can we bring you forth water out of this rock?" And when Moses had lifted up his hand, and struck the rock twice with the rod, there came forth water in great abundance, so that the people and their cattle drank, And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you have not believed me, to sanctify be before the children of Israel, you shall not bring these people into the land which I will give them. This is the water of contradiction, where the children of Israel strove with words against the Lord, and he was sanctified in them.[12] 

Moses….he's been there.

So there is water that satisfies thirst, yet not long term. We find the hope of eternally refreshing waters woven throughout the scriptures, such as in the Psalms where it is written O God, thou art my God, I see thee, my soul thirsts for thee, my flesh faints for thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is [13] or in the Prophet Isaiah writes, concerning exile: Therefore my people go into exile for want of knowledge; their honored men are dying of hunger, and their multitude is parched with thirst.[14]

            When the people of Israel needed cleaning, according to the Levitic texts, they must enter themselves into water, bathing themselves from their iniquities.[15] Even before a priest could offer a sacrifice on behalf of other’s sins, he must lower himself into water in preparation for the sacrifice.[16] In the Psalms we see this idea carried on, when the David, in the midst of his sins, cries out to the Lord, thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.[17] The prophet Ezekiel foretold a time when the people of Israel would be cleansed from their idolatry; And I [the Lord] will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filth, and I will cleanse you from all your idols. And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you; and I will take away your stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh.[18] So in all of these things, we see that God is laying down a foundation for this element of water.

Remains of the washing baths of the Essenes (1st century BC-1st century AD)

            The River Jordan itself held a pivotal place for the Jewish people. It was the River that divided the lands of Abraham and Lot.[19] It was the River Jordan that Joshua parted so that the people of Israel would be allowed to enter into the Promised Land that the Lord had promised them back when they were slaves in Egypt.[20] It was the River Jordan that Elisha told the great Syrian general Na’aman to dip himself into seven times to be cleansed of his leprosy.

            So with all of these things in mind, we can begin to understand what it would have meant to the people of Israel to hear that there is a prophet preaching a message of repentance, down by the River Jordan, and offering a cleansing baptism of water, that would have meant a great deal to them. Then imagine they get down to the river, and are told by the Prophet, I indeed baptize you in the water unto penance, but he that shall come after me, is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; he shall baptize you in the Holy Ghost and fire.[21] Then one day this man from Nazareth comes down to the banks. He allows himself to be lowered into the water, and then, upon his surfacing from the water, the sky opens, the Spirit descends, and a voice proclaims, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.[22]  You can imagine what this would have meant to the people who saw this.

Notice Jonah and the fish at the feet of Jesus,
showing how Jonah was a prefiguring of Christ

            Yet now we must ask ourselves the question, what does this mean for us? What does it mean to me, sitting here? We have seen great miracles in these past couple of weeks. We have been told that the one who is to come will not only cleanse us of our sins, but will give us new hearts, one born out of water, the Holy Ghost and fire. We are told that not only are our sins forgiven, but a new relationship with God is being made available to us. Through baptism we become children of the most High, sharing in the Sonship of Jesus Christ. It seems to great to be true, but indeed it is. As it is written by the Apostle John; Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the children of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him. Dearly beloved, we are now the children of God; and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know, that, when he shall appear, we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.[23]

            If this is what has been done for us, then what should our response be to God? How should we respond to what has been given to us? The Creed that we pray every Sunday is formulated as Credo “I believe.” Sometimes people have asked why “I believe” instead of “we believe” and the reason for this is that the earliest creeds were formed around the sacrament of baptism, and the statements were questions; Do you believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth? Si, Credo, Yes, I believe. Philosophers often point out the uniqueness of the question. A question forces us to recognize an objective reality while at the same time forcing ourselves to examine our subjective selves. That sounds complicated so allow me to explain. Let’s say I ask you: “Do you want pizza for dinner tonight?” This forces you to acknowledge the objective reality of pizza. Mmmm. Pizza. Cheese, crust, sauce and happiness in the forms of toppings. But then you have to examine yourself in relationship to that objective reality. Do I feel like pizza tonight? When is the last time I had pizza? Wait, I just had it last night and I’m trying to eat healthy, so maybe no pizza tonight. No wait, forget that, EAT ALL THE PIZZA!!

Dooooo it

            So now if I tell you, “Do you believe in God?” That forces you to examine this reality of God. What god are we talking about? Are we talking about Allah, Vishnu, Shiva, or Buddha? And if we are talking about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the one who is one God in three divine persons, than what does that mean for me in my life? Where am I in relationship with God? Today God is revealed as Triune; Father, Son and Holy Ghost. An invitation is given by the Son; follow me.[24] What will our response be? Saint John continues on the passage mentioned above; everyone that hath this hope in him, sanctifieth himself, as he also is holy.[25] Indeed, it means we must respond to Christ’s call to discipleship. Think of what happens in John’s gospel after the baptism of Christ. John is with two of his disciples (one of whom was Andrew, the brother of Peter) and he sees Jesus. He points to Jesus and says, behold, the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.[26] We cannot pretend our life is the same as it was before the moment of our Epiphany of Christ. How will we respond to the invitation of Christ? Will we follow him with all our hearts, mind and strength or will we turn away and go our own way? There is no middle way.

If anyone will follow me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross, and follow me. Mark 8.34

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[1] John 4.13-14: Jesus answered her [the woman at the well], “Whosoever drinketh of this water [in the well] shall thirst again; but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him, shall not thirst forever: But the water that I will give him, shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting.”

[2] John 3.5

[3] Genesis 1.2

[4] cf. Genesis 6.17

[5] Genesis 9.15

[6] Genesis 8.21

[7] Catechism of the Catholic Church §§388-389: “With the progress of Revelation, the reality of sin is also illuminated. Although to some extent the People of God in the Old Testament had tried to understand the pathos of the human condition in the light of the history of the fall narrated in Genesis, they could not grasp this story's ultimate meaning, which is revealed only in the light of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.[Romans 5.12-21] We must know Christ as the source of grace in order to know Adam as the source of sin. The Spirit-Paraclete, sent by the risen Christ, came to "convict the world concerning sin",[John 16.8] by revealing him who is its Redeemer.

389 The doctrine of original sin is, so to speak, the "reverse side" of the Good News that Jesus is the Savior of all men, that all need salvation and that salvation is offered to all through Christ. The Church, which has the mind of Christ,[cf. I Corinthians 2.16] knows very well that we cannot tamper with the revelation of original sin without undermining the mystery of Christ.

[8] Exodus 2.10

[9] cf. Exodus 7.15-20; Exodus 8.6

[10] Exodus 14.11

[11] Exodus 14.16

[12] Numbers 20.7-13

[13] Psalm 63.1

[14] Isaiah 5.13

[15] cf. Leviticus 14-15

[16] cf. Leviticus 16.4

[17] Psalm 50(51).9

[18] Ezekiel 36.25-26

[19] cf. Genesis 13.8-18

[20] cf. Joshua 3

[21] Matthew 3.11

[22] Matthew 3.17

[23] I John 3.1-2

[24] Matthew 9.9

[25] I John 3.3

[26] John 1.36-37