From the yearly archives: 2012
Christmas, Mass at Midnight. God sends us the hero we have been hoping for. He has the special ability to love everyone unconditionally, even the people who hurt Him. The real problem we need to be saved from is not violence and people with guns, but hearts filled with sin and hate and selfishness. He is the antidote — His love makes us invincible. Christmas means that we are not forgotten; God is with us right here and now. (25 Dec 2012)
Advent, 4th Sunday. Every Advent season the Church encourages us to watch and wait for the coming of the Lord. If we have kept our eyes open, we have noticed moments of joy and peace. Joy and Peace are infallible signs of the presence of God. We have been watching for the coming of the Lord and we have discovered that He is already here. (23 Dec 2012)
Advent, 3rd Sunday. The Lord will be gathering the good to himself, but the evil he will “burn with unquenchable fire.” No one gets away with evil — not me, not you, not Adam Lanza. For those who are doing evil, this is very bad news. For those who are suffering the effects of evil, this is very good news. We have seen our darkness and sin, and our powerlessness to stop it. We need a Savior, and He is near, in our midst. Come Lord Jesus! Come and save us. (16 Dec 2012)
Every year I organize my homilies into an album. The name of the album reflects what is on my mind and on the mind of my community, and some of the themes that the homilies will carry for the year. Probably the biggest thing on my mind for the coming year is rebuilding a school [...]
Advent, 2nd Sunday. Why does the Church tell us what not to do? Because she loves us and wants us to be happy. The Church wants us to avoid making a shipwreck of our lives. John the Baptist warns the people to “repent” — turn around — from their sin. Sin means missing the mark. Adjust your aim to shoot consistently at true excellence. Why does this matter? Because God made us for Himself. He wants His own glory to shine from within us and make us like lighthouses. Come, Lord Jesus. (9 Dec 2012)
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. God made us for Himself. For millennia he prepared a people and finally a woman to receive His Son. Mary was “unstained” by sin. She was on earth what we are meant to be in Heaven. God has been working in your life to make you ready to “unstained” with Him forever. Christ will be coming for each of us, but He is also come to be with us right here and now at Mass. (8 Dec 2012)
Twelve Lessons on the Catholic Faith – by Fr. Benjamin Sember
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