Month: December 2024

St. Thomas Aquinas, a Doctor of the Church, wrote that the four typical human substitutes for God are wealth, pleasure, power, and honor. Sensing an emptiness within ourselves, we attempt to fill it up with some combination of these four things. But it is only by emptying ourselves of these trivial desires that we can make space for God to fill us. The Incarnation is God’s self-emptying into a human person, a poor Galilean. The stable on Christmas night is a vivid reminder that the Savior came to us in a reversal of these substitutes. Jesus was not born in a fancy inn (wealth) but in a poor stable, surrounded by hay and damp wood and farm animals. Jesus, Joseph, and his mother, Mary, were not well fed (pleasure) and were probably hungry, since they were travelers away from home. A baby is the most powerless of creatures (power) and depends totally on adults for his care and well-being. And, finally, three wise men – wealthy and honorable – came to kneel down, offer gifts, and give honor to the child crying in a manger (honor).  This same reversal will be emphasized even more dramatically on the cross. If we are to follow Jesus, we must pay attention to the things that we try to substitute for God in our lives. Are we addicted to something that gives us instant pleasure or gratification? Are we too proud to say “I’m sorry” to someone that we have offended? Do we cling to our riches too tightly so that we might not share them with others? Do we value our external appearance more than our internal goodness? God looks into our hearts and sees our true intentions. Christmas is a celebration of a different way to find joy! – – – Fr. Jim

It has been said that Pope St. John Paul II was a “witness to hope”. He often spoke of a “springtime of the Church” In which good would triumph over evil and truth would be victorious over lies. Hope, along with Faith and Love, is a theological virtue. Hope is trusting in God despite disappointment at the abundance of sin in our world. During one of his visits to the United Nations, Pope JP II said that “Hope is not empty optimism….but is the premise of responsible activity that is nurtured in the inner sanctuary of conscience where man is alone with God”. In other words, hope is nurtured in prayer and is expressed in positive action, action that provides a stark contrast to sin with unconditional love of our neighbor. For example, the hope-filled Christian doesn’t just despair at the rise of homelessness. He vows to take some small part in initiatives to alleviate the housing crisis. Other examples – in times of loneliness I can put my hope in hobbies and friendships. In times of a health scare, I can put my trust in God working through doctors and nurses. Do I see God’s providence as guiding the stars as well as the challenges and blessings of my personal life and that of my family? Pope Francis has declared the new year 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope. St. Paul reminds us that hope, like all virtues, is the result of practice and discipline, and “hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:3-5). – – – Fr. Jim