The Locust and Wild Honey Cook Book

Gospel	Luke 3:1-6

The call of John the Baptist

In the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar’s reign, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judaea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the lands of Ituraea and Trachonitis, Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas the word of God came to John son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. He went through the whole Jordan district proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the sayings of the prophet Isaiah:

A voice cries in the wilderness:

Prepare a way for the Lord,

make his paths straight.

Every valley will be filled in,

every mountain and hill be laid low,

winding ways will be straightened

and rough roads made smooth.

And all mankind shall see the salvation of God.

Entering stage right into our drama a man whom we would describe as "odd" or perhaps it would be more respectful and more to the point to describe him as "unique."  John the Baptist is an interesting character to be sure.  He, through Luke's Gospel, does us a service. Luke mentions who was in charge during this period of time. 

Tiberius Caesar, Roman emperor—AD 14–37

Pontius Pilate, governor of Judea—AD 26–36

Herod, tetrarch of Galilee—4 BC-AD 39

Annas ben Seth, high priest—AD 6–15

Joseph Caiaphas, high priest—AD 18–36

Do you see something strange in the list of actors in our drama?  Notice that Luke lists Annas ben Seth as high priest.  Well, Annas was a High Priest Emeritus by this time and you would think he should not have been included in this list.  But Luke was not giving just a dull recitation of a roster of leaders, he was making it clear who were the real power people.  The High Priest, Joseph Caiaphas would make no important move without consulting with Annas whose Machiavellian moves brought Caiaphas into power.  So if we read between the lines we can make some educated guesses as to the political situation of the time and we can also zero in, as best as we can, on the year Jesus was born and when he died. His birth took place during the reign of Herod so it had to take place between 4 BC and 1AD and if we reckon that Jesus was 33 when he died, his death had to take place sometime between 29 and 36 AD.  It could not come after 36 AD because the players in our play exited the scene in the year 36, except ironically, since he was always worried that someone was after his job, Herod who lasted another three years!  But let's get back to John the Baptist. 

Zachary was John's father and Elizabeth was his mother.   They were both beyond childbearing age and had not been blessed with an heir.  Zachary reported to the temple to serve and by lot was chosen to offer incense in the Holy of Holies.  This was a great honor and a priest could only do this once in his life.  So it was with great humility and awe that he entered and began to offer the incense when an angel announced to him that the Lord had heard his prayer and that he would have a son.  He expressed some doubt about this and the Angel told him that because he did not believe that he would be struck mute until the child was born and named John.  The child was born and all the relatives came by to celebrate and they were going to name the child.  Elizabeth told everyone that the boy's name was going to be John.  You could have heard a pin drop.  Then there was a tumult.  The relatives pointed out that there were no ancestors that bore that name, surely the boy should be named after a deceased relative as was the custom.  An argument ensued and the boy's father, who still could not speak, called for a writing implement and wrote, "His name shall be John."  With that, he got his voice back and we fade to black as the scene ends. 

I can't help wondering what sort of child John was.  Did he play with the other children?  Was he very serious all of the time?  We do not know what sort of child he was as the Bible is silent on this as the Gospel writers did not consider this as important information. 

There is no record that Jesus and John met before John baptized Jesus in the Jordan but I like to think that they did have some childhood memories to share together because their families were close as evidenced by Mary going to help Elizabeth when Elizabeth was pregnant with John.  John as a man retreated to the desert wearing a garment made of camel hair (itchy, scratchy) and he ate locusts, an excellent source of protein, and wild honey. yellow energy, which he needed to use as he ran away from the bees! 

So, our cast of characters is ready, the curtain is ready to go up on the story of Jesus. Are you ready?  Are you aware that His birth so long ago affects you and your ultimate destiny today?  Can you hear the Baptist crying out in the wilderness?  Do his words cause you to pause in your busy life and think what a wondrous God we have that He would deign to become one of us, and not as some high fulluting muckity muck but rather as a poor boy.  Being born not in a palace but in a cave or stable.  Can you slow down for a moment, put aside thoughts of what to get Aunt Matilda (a new box to put her dentures in at night perhaps...) and what to serve for dinner and which party invitations to accept?  Can you reserve some few minutes to examine your conscience and mourn over your sins?  Can you spend a moment telling the Lord of your sorrow?  Can you spend some time in church in that line to go to confession?  Can you take care of your spirit as well as you take care of your body at the gym?  

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season and spend just a few minutes of quality time in the desert with John.  Listen to the wind, see the sand and the rocks, and hear the voice of the Lord as He tells you how much He loves you and how he wants to hear about everything in your life, the joys, sorrows, victories, and defeats.  He wants you to tell Him all.  He loves you so very much and wants to get to know you and he will come into your heart as deeply as you allow Him to.  He will heal what needs to be healed if you allow Him.  All he needs is for you to give Him some time.  He promises that He won't waste it.  

A rather disturbing Advent Hymn for you.  Be sure to watch it all of the way through.  (3 minutes) 

Please pray for the Poor Souls this week.  A friend of mine passed away, Phil Sangirardi, a good man and he sure could use your prayers.  Thank you for all you can do. 

The Immaculate Confusion

Gospel	Luke 1:26-38 ©

'I am the handmaid of the Lord'

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, so highly favored! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favor. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob forever and his reign will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’ ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.’ ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’ And the angel left her.

Today's reflection was cut and pasted from Catholic Answers.  I could not explain the Immaculate Conception any better than this.  This is an important topic for Catholics to understand and there is no sense in me attempting to reinvent the wheel! 

Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." First John 1:8 adds, "If any man says he has no sin he is a liar and the truth is not in him." These texts could not be clearer for millions of Protestants: "How could anyone believe Mary was free from all sin in light of these Scripture passages? What’s more, Mary herself said, ‘My soul rejoices in God my savior’ in Luke 1:47. She clearly understood herself to be a sinner if she admits to needing a savior."

The Catholic Answer

Not a few Protestants are surprised to discover the Catholic Church actually agrees that Mary was "saved." Indeed, Mary needed a savior! However, Mary was "saved" from sin in a most sublime manner. She was given the grace to be "saved" completely from sin so that she never committed even the slightest transgression. Protestants tend to emphasize God’s "salvation" almost exclusively to the forgiveness of sins actually committed. However, Sacred Scripture indicates that salvation can also refer to man being protected from sinning before the fact:

Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you without blemish before the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and for ever. (Jude 24-25)

Six hundred years ago, the great Franciscan theologian Duns Scotus explained that falling into sin could be likened to a man approaching unaware a deep ditch. If he falls into the ditch, he needs someone to lower a rope and save him. But if someone were to warn him of the danger ahead, preventing the man from falling into the ditch at all, he would be saved from falling in the first place. Likewise, Mary was saved from sin by receiving the grace to be preserved from it. But she was still saved.

All Have Sinned Except . . .

But what about "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23) and "if any man says he has no sin he is a liar and the truth is not in him" (1 John 1:8)? Wouldn’t "all" and "any man" include Mary? On the surface, this sounds reasonable. But this way of thinking carried to its logical conclusion would list Jesus Christ in the company of sinners as well. No faithful Christian would dare say that. Yet no Christian can deny the plain texts of Scripture declaring Christ’s full humanity either. Thus, to take 1 John 1:8 in a strict, literal sense would apply "any man" to Jesus as well.

The truth is Jesus Christ was an exception to Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8. And the Bible tells us he was in Hebrews 4:15: "Christ was tempted in all points even as we are and yet he was without sin." The question now is: Are there any other exceptions to this rule? Yes—millions of them.

Both Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:9 deal with personal rather than original sin. (Romans 5 deals with original sin.) And there are two exceptions to that general biblical norm as well. But for now, we will simply deal with Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8. First John 1:8 obviously refers to personal sin because in the very next verse, John tells us, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins . . ." We do not confess original sin; we confess personal sins.

The context of Romans 3:23 makes clear that it too refers to personal sin:

None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks for God. All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong; no one does good, not even one. Their throat is an open grave. They use their tongues to deceive. The venom of asps is under their lips. Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness. (Rom. 3:10-14)

Original sin is not something we do; it is something we’ve inherited. Romans chapter three deals with personal sin because it speaks of sins committed by the sinner. With this in mind, consider this: Has a baby in the womb or a child of two ever committed a personal sin? No. To sin a person has to know the act he is about to perform is sinful while freely engaging his will in carrying it out. Without the proper faculties to enable them to sin, children before the age of accountability and anyone who does not have the use of his intellect and will cannot sin. So, there are and have been millions of exceptions to Romans 3:23 and 1 John 1:8.

Still, how do we know Mary is an exception to the norm of "all have sinned?" And more specifically, is there biblical support for this claim? Yes, there is much biblical support.

The Name Says it All

And [the angel Gabriel] came to [Mary] and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God." (Luke 1:28-30)

Many Protestants will insist this text to be little more than a common greeting of the Archangel Gabriel to Mary. "What does this have to do with Mary being without sin?" Yet, the truth is, according to Mary herself, this was no common greeting. The text reveals Mary to have been "greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be" (Luke 1:29, emphasis added). What was it about this greeting that was so uncommon for Mary to react this way? We can consider at least two key aspects.

First, according to biblical scholars (as well as Pope John Paul II), the angel did more than simply greet Mary. The angel actually communicated a new name or title to her. (cf. Redemptoris Mater, 8, 9). In Greek, the greeting was kaire, kekaritomene, or "Hail, full of grace." Generally speaking, when one greeted another with kaire, a name or title would be found in the immediate context. "Hail, king of the Jews" in John 19:3 and "Claudias Lysias, to his Excellency the governor Felix, greeting" (Acts 23:26) are two biblical examples of this. The fact that the angel replaces Mary’s name in the greeting with "full of grace" was anything but common. This would be analogous to me speaking to one of our tech guys at Catholic Answers and saying, "Hello, he who fixes computers." In Hebrew culture, names and name changes tell us something permanent about the character and calling of the one named. Just recall the name changes of Abram to Abraham (from "father" to "father of the multitudes") in Genesis 17:5, Saray to Sarah ("my princess" to "princess"), in Genesis 17:15 and Jacob to Israel ("supplanter" to "he who prevails with God") in Genesis 32:28.

In each case, the names reveal something permanent about the one named. Abraham and Sarah transition from being a "father" and "princess" of one family to being "father" and "princess" or "mother" of the entire people of God (see Rom. 4:1-18; Is. 51:1-2). They become patriarch and matriarch of God’s people forever. Jacob/Israel becomes the patriarch whose name, "he who prevails with God," continues forever in the Church, which is called "the Israel of God" (Gal. 6:16). The People of God will forever "prevail with God" in the image of the patriarch Jacob.

What’s in a name? According to Scripture, quite a lot.

A Perfect Resume

Gospel
Matthew 15:29-37

The crowds praised the God of Israel

Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; these they put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.

  But Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for all these people; they have been with me for three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them off hungry, they might collapse on the way.’ The disciples said to him, ‘Where could we get enough bread in this deserted place to feed such a crowd?’ Jesus said to them, ‘How many loaves have you?’ ‘Seven’ they said ‘and a few small fish.’ Then he instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and he gave thanks and broke them and handed them to the disciples, who gave them to the crowds. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they collected what was left of the scraps, seven baskets full.

Read the Gospel very carefully today.  Matthew is giving us the resume of Jesus and telling us why He and no other is the one that the people have been waiting for.

• The Blind See 
• The Deaf Hear 
• The Dumb Speak
• The Hungry Eat 
• There is an Infinite Abundance (there were seven baskets left over - that is not a coincidence. 

Can it be any clearer what Matthew is announcing to you?  Believe in Jesus and He will help you see Him in the Eucharist, you will hear and learn the Word of God, you will speak to others and feed them so that they can be amazed by the love God has for us and when all is said and done, there will be more left over, more than you could ever hope for.  Want, sorrow, pain, and death will be no more as we live, love, and learn next to the Savior of the world. 

Here is an Advent Song to aid your reflections today. 

What Is It About Kids That God Loves So Much?

Gospel	Luke 10:21-24

No-one knows who the Son is except the Father

Filled with joy by the Holy Spirit, Jesus said:

  ‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’

  Then turning to his disciples he spoke to them in private, ‘Happy the eyes that see what you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see, and never saw it; to hear what you hear, and never heard it.’

Once again, we have Jesus mentioning the fact that God has revealed to children that have been hidden from the learned and the clever. What is it about children that God likes so much?  Well first off, they are innocent.  They have the ability to see the sun when others cannot see it.  They believe what you tell them.  They find the things that they see fascinating.  They have a sense of fairness and joy about them.  Their spirits themselves are joyful.  '

Many years ago I went to visit my sister who was living with her husband as he worked for the military.  I shared the room with my nephew who was quite young at the time.  The first morning we kind of woke up together and from his bed, he turned and saw me in mine and his whole face lit up in a smile and he said, with his face showing delight that I was there, "Good morning!"  You could see into his soul by way of the expression on his face.  Adults are too sophisticated to react like that. 

In this Advent season, let us pew dwellers look inside ourselves and ask ourselves how we can best become more child-like.  Notice I said child-like, not childish.  Can we give as a child gives?  A child gives from the heart.  Is it possible we can love as a child loves?  A child loves fully and completely.  Can we see other people as a child does, seeing each person as an equal, someone that might be fun to know?  Can we share ourselves like a child shares?  Can we have that sense of fair-play that is built into the young ones?  Can we pray as a child, from the heart and fully engaged with God and just knowing that their prayers are being heard?  Can we do this?  We must do this.  If we do become more child-like we will be ready to accept the Christ Child and all He brings into our heart and we will tirelessly share the joy of having the Savior of the Human Race as our best friend. 

Here is an Advent song to help you meditate today:

Faith = A Rainy Day and Cloudy Sky and Sunglasses

Gospel	Matthew 8:5-11

'I am not worthy to have you under my roof: give the word, and my servant will be healed'

When Jesus went into Capernaum a centurion came up and pleaded with him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘my servant is lying at home paralyzed, and in great pain.’ ‘I will come myself and cure him’ said Jesus. The centurion replied, ‘Sir, I am not worthy to have you under my roof; just give the word and my servant will be cured. For I am under authority myself and have soldiers under me; and I say to one man: Go, and he goes; to another: Come here, and he comes; to my servant: Do this, and he does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you solemnly, nowhere in Israel have I found faith like this. And I tell you that many will come from east and west to take their places with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob at the feast in the kingdom of heaven.’

You just have to have faith.  Without faith nothing is possible.  With faith, all things are possible.  A Centurion was an officer that was in charge of at least one hundred soldiers in the Roman army.  Some that had more experience could have a couple or three hundred men under their command. They were men of authority.  This centurion knew how to wield power.  He used the authority entrusted to him to make things happen.  He understood that when you have authority you can delegate and things get done.  So, when he approached Jesus, he believed that Jesus had the authority and he believed that all Jesus had to do was give the command that his servant be cured and it would happen.  Remember, Jesus had trouble in Capernaum because the people knew Him and did not have faith so miracles were hard to come by. 

So it is easy to recommend that you have faith but sometimes in our own hearts it is hard to come by as well. Please remember that God is very much in love with you.  He wants only the best for you and in His mind "the best" might not include what you are asking for,  Faith is not the thought that you will get what you asked for, although it may be your fondest hope.  No, faith is the realization that the best will come to you because of the Father's love for you and you must keep that in mind through all of the turbulence of life.  Now, go out, walk through the raindrops, and go buy that sunscreen. 

Please remember to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory today. 

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Catching 40 Winks

Gospel
Luke 21:25-28,34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘There will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; on earth nations in agony, bewildered by the clamor of the ocean and its waves; men dying of fear as they await what menaces the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand erect, hold your heads high because your liberation is near at hand.

  ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

This year has been a doozie for me.  My diabetes has worsened over the past twelve months and some of the medications I have been taking are beginning to lose their effectiveness. My doctor put me on another pill and boom, within two weeks, without changing my diet, I put on thirty pounds!  This made my insulin resistance greater and eventually, I was put on Lantus, a long-insulin which has brought my blood glucose down at the expense of (you guessed it) the addition of some more weight. You may be asking at this point, "Michael the Lesser, why the organ recital?"  Well, hang on for a just a moment because it gets better.  I began getting drowsy and actually falling asleep at work - one time while I was actually speaking to a customer on the phone!  This was noticed by some co-workers who made sure that management was made aware that Michael was sleeping on the job.  Now in the company rulebook or as we call it "10,000  ways to get fired" sleeping on the job is one of the many reasons they will gleefully set you free to find employment elsewhere.  Fortunately, I had a boss who cared for her team and she had my back.  I visited my doctor who arranged for a sleep test (don't get me started on that test) and I was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  I was experiencing 111 episodes of stopping breathing an hour.  Five incidents are considered normal and harmless.  Two weeks after the study, I found myself the proud owner of a CPAP machine. Long story short, I now am getting actual sleep when I close my eyes at night and not only am I no longer drowsy at work, I have much more energy and feel alive again.  OK, I hear you saying, "Fascinating, Michael the Lesser, simply fascinating, but what in the blue nubs of Hades does this have to do with the first Sunday of Advent?"

Our Lord, in the Gospel reading, once again warns us to stay awake because the end may come on us and catch us off-guard and surprised.  We spend so much time and effort preparing for the Christmas holiday that we sometimes do not take the time to enjoy it.  The cares of this life invade our serenity and in our attempt to do good we exhaust ourselves and become drowsy and we miss what is important in life.  These four weeks of advent are gifts that the Church gives us to take time to consider what the birth of the Savior really means to us and those we love.  Don't waste the time between now and then.  Oh, it is okay to prepare for the feast day but do not become so wrapped up in it that you lose your awareness and become drowsy and the season will become a burden.  The birth of our Lord is to be a time of great joy for a savior has been born for us, He is Christ the Lord.  Wait for Him with your eyes open and your mind awake and ready. 

Give a listen to a most beautiful Advent Hymn. 

You Have Been Warned! (Don't be afraid)

Gospel	Luke 21:34-36

That day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap

Jesus said to his disciples:

  ‘Watch yourselves, or your hearts will be coarsened with debauchery and drunkenness and the cares of life, and that day will be sprung on you suddenly, like a trap. For it will come down on every living man on the face of the earth. Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.’

It is going to happen someday.  It may happen when you least expect it or you may have a month or two of warning, but it will happen.  Many people are afraid of what will happen on the day the Lord returns.  They read of cataclysms, destructions, and death.  They are afraid of dragons, lakes of fire, and avenging angels.  They fear being in the group of goats being led to eternal punishment.  I say, "Be Not Afraid."  Yes, the end is coming and perhaps it is coming soon. Each of us will experience an end of life and each of us will have an opportunity to choose eternity with God as our ultimate fate. If we have lived a good life, if we have loved God and if we know Jesus, heaven will be our home and that is in spite of anything else that happens to us.  Fear not the writings of the sages of this age and instead believe in the love that God has for you, and I mean you as you are and as you will become.  Live and love and enjoy life by doing the will of God and you will be home on that last day and no one will ever be able to take that away from you. 

Please remember the Poor Souls - they need your prayers. 

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