Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Genesis 15:1-6, 21:1-3; Hebrews 11:8-19; Luke 2:22-40

Look at these families that God chose to create. They are not the sort of families to whom we would affix the labels natural or traditional. And yet they served as some of the greatest instruments of our Parent's will. This should be a warning to us to be careful in our assumptions about which families do and do not meet with God's approval. They desire trust and obedience, not proper demographics.

Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Isaiah 9:1-6; Psalms 96:1-13; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone." Today we remember our Brother, who came to illuminate the kingdom. And as terrifying as that sight can be, no other will ever match its beauty. So let us sing alleluia, and give glory to our God. For they are our hope and salvation, now and forever.

Fourth Sunday of Advent

2 Samuel 7:1-16; Psalms 89:2-29; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38

Despite our protests faith is truly blind. We do not have the faintest clue of where we will end up by following God's will. Even our great exemplars, David and Mary, could never have dreamed that their obedience would lead to the triumph of the cross. But they trusted our Parent, and we rightly praise them for their faith. And so now it is our turn. Will you sing forever of the goodness of the Lord, even as you obediently follow them down the unlit path to places unknown?

Third Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 61:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-28

"I rejoice heartily in the LORD, in my God is the joy of my soul." For our Parent has anointed me, so that I might bring their glad tidings to you, my brothers and sisters. Look in the mirror; be you rich or poor, gleeful or brokenhearted, master or captive, jailer or prisoner, every one of you is adorned with the trappings of salvation, justice, and love. Do not worry if this vision escapes you. Many are those who never recognize it. Just trust. Let these final days of Advent be a time of trust. For the One who created you is faithful, and they have accomplished all that you need. Alleluia!

Second Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalms 85:8-14; 2 Peter 3:8-14; Mark 1:1-8

I have struggled so hard today to come up with words of comfort. I struggle, because I know that the comfort you desire is not the comfort I have to offer. You hope for such lovely things during Advent: peace and justice and new heavens and a new earth. And the only response I can make is to point to the same old kingdom that our Parent has tried to share with us from the very beginning. The one we find confusing and a bit disappointing. The one that demands from us an unconditional love that feels impossibly out of reach. The one that reveals that eternal life is a banquet hall where murder victims joyfully and eagerly greet their killers with a kiss. Who among us, especially in light of recent events, could possibly be comforted by such truth? But it is the only comfort I have to give.

First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 63:16-64:7; Psalms 80:2-19, 85:8; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:33-37

We watch. We wait. We assume that we know what to look for, just not when it will arrive. But what if time is not the unknown factor? What if our Parent's love and salvation is already here, just not in a form that we recognize? After all, do the servants expect their master to look the same after traveling for so long? And could they possibly recognize the strange gifts brought back from distant lands? If most of our siblings were unable to grasp the reality of the first Christmas, why are we so confident in our own powers of perception? How many blessed souls have we looked right through, because we could not even begin to imagine them as bearers of grace? So be alert! Look closely at the faces you encounter this Advent, for the Lord of the kingdom is certainly among them.

Thanksgiving Day

It is hard to feel thankful today. Too many of our children have died a violent death lately. And the air is just too thick with anger and despair. So some of us march and rage against the darkness. While others of us bury our heads in the sands of denial and privilege. But neither reaction truly soothes our aching souls. For the truth none of us wants to face is our impotence to prevent such death. As long as we are human, we will hurt one another. Pride. Ignorance. Fear. Do the motives really matter? At the end of the day, over and over again, we will kill one another. Yes, we have a duty to struggle with all our might against injustice and evil. But we must also remember that Jesus never cured leprosy, only a mere handful of lepers. If it was not his job to fix the world, why do we think it is ours? No, our task, our calling, is to open our eyes to the glorious kingdom already in our midst. A kingdom that is not a what or a where, but a whom: our brothers and sisters, our family.

Yes, our Parent has truly "done wondrous things on earth!" And so we have much to be thankful for today. For the gifts of Michael Brown, Rhasson Hamilton, Tamir Rice, and Christopher Walker. And yes, for the gifts of Timothy Loehmann, Darren Wilson, and killers still unknown. They are not friends or foes, nor demons or monsters. They are our brothers, one and all. And we are called to love them, one and all. It is perhaps our greatest cross to bear, this call to recognize both victim and murderer as our siblings. And it is something else to be thankful for this day.

As for me personally, I am thankful for a special group of hundreds of my brothers and sisters here in Los Angeles County, whose unclaimed bodies will be buried in a mass grave early next month. I did not know any of them, but I mourn their loss and celebrate their lives. I am thankful for the residents of the International Space Station, who provide a glimpse of our family's grandeur. I am thankful for the wild green parrots of my hometown, whose chatter and aerial acrobatics bring laughter to my lips and joy to my heart. And I am most thankful for my best friend, my lover, my partner in this journey, the woman who eleven years ago tomorrow became my wife.

I could go on and on. I have much to be thankful for. We all have much to be thankful for. We belong to a family whose glory cannot be measured. So let us give thanks and praise our king's name, today and every day until we draw our last breath, for we are their mightiest work.

Sirach 50:22-24; Psalms 145:1-11; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Luke 17:11-19

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Ezekiel 34:11-17; Psalms 23:1-6; Matthew 25:31-46

Some of us are rescued. And some of us are destroyed. Some will inherit the kingdom, while others will wail outside its walls. So what is the "it factor", that thing determining whether you end up on the king's right or on her left? Perhaps it is a willingness to acknowledge that one is lost and broken, not sleek or strong. For how can you claim that God is your shepherd, without first admitting that you are nothing more and nothing less than a common sheep?

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalms 128:1-5; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 25:14-30

Fear. Where does fear drive you? Into the arms of faux peace and security? Or to heights you never dreamed of visiting? Are we like the lazy servant, so afraid of Big Daddy that we entomb grace rather than risk it being squandered? Or are we the good spouse, who uses every resource at our disposal to do our Lover's will? Let us be bold and daring in our love of God and neighbor. Let us remain alert to every opportunity to increase the kingdom, and not allow sobriety to twist itself into a fearfulness of wonder and surprise. For our Parent delights in mystery and paradox, and beckons us to embrace their joys. Will you run to them with awe and reverence, and bathe in their light? Or will you cower in terror in the darkness, wailing and grinding your teeth? Fear. Will it bless you or haunt you?

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

Ezekiel 47:1-12; Psalms 46:2-9; 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; John 2:13-22

"Stop making my Father's house a marketplace." Do you ever expect a return, in this life or the next, on your contributions to religious institutions? Do you ever view participation in the sacraments as a way of accumulating spiritual wealth? Do you ever strive to monetize the divine gifts entrusted to you for the enrichment of your brothers and sisters? How many temples have been built from our lust for divine rewards? How much bread and wine has been consumed by hearts and minds fixated on greed rather than grace? How many of us approach God and faith with a "what's in it for me" attitude? Must our Brother come along with a whip? Or will we open our eyes and see that our Parent's city was not created for our exploitation, and their temples are not our playthings.