Homily - Sunday - Second Weekend of Ordinary Time Year A January 18, 2026 - "Sacrifice like a Lamb"

Homily - Sunday - Second Weekend of Ordinary Time Year A
January 18, 2026 - "Sacrifice like a Lamb"
John 1:29–34 (Readings) "Behold the Lamb of God.”
Deacon David Lewis
Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

Homily on John 1:29–34

“Behold the Lamb of God” — The Name That Reveals the Heart of God

My friends, today’s Gospel gives us one of the most familiar and profound titles for Jesus in all of Scripture. John the Baptist looks up, sees Jesus approaching, and proclaims: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”

We say those words at every Mass. We hear them so often that they can almost wash over us. But if we pause — if we let them sink in — we discover that this title, Lamb of God, is not just poetic. It is not just symbolic. It is a window into the very heart of God, and it is a mirror held up to our own lives.

Today I want to explore two things:

1. Why Jesus is called the Lamb of God, and
2. How that title speaks to the sacrifices we make every day — especially the hidden, quiet, exhausting sacrifices that look nothing like the world’s idea of holiness, but everything like God’s idea of holiness.

So why a Lamb? Why this name?

To the Jewish people, the word “lamb” was not sentimental. It was not cute. It was not a decoration for a nursery wall. A lamb meant sacrifice.

A lamb meant Passover. The lamb’s blood on the doorposts saved Israel from death. The lamb was the price of freedom. When John calls Jesus “the Lamb of God,” he is saying:
Here is the One whose sacrifice will free you from slavery — not to Pharaoh, but to sin and death.

A lamb also meant daily offering. In the Temple, lambs were offered every morning and every evening. Day after day, year after year, the people were reminded:
We belong to God. Our lives are meant to be given back to Him.

And, a lamb meant innocence. A lamb does not fight back. A lamb does not defend itself. A lamb is gentle, vulnerable, and offered in silence.
Isaiah foretold the Messiah as “a lamb led to the slaughter, who opened not his mouth.”

So when John the Baptist points to Jesus and says, “Behold the Lamb of God,” he is saying something breathtaking:

This is the One who will give Himself completely.
This is the One who will pour out His life so that you may live.
This is the One whose love is stronger than sin, stronger than death, stronger than every darkness.

The Lamb of God is not a title of weakness.
It is a title of self-giving love — love that holds nothing back.

 The title “Lamb of God” reveals the pattern of true love

If Jesus is the Lamb of God, then the Cross is not an accident.
It is not a tragedy.
It is not a failure.

It is the shape of love.

Love is not proven by feelings.
Love is not proven by words.
Love is proven by sacrifice — by the willingness to give yourself for the good of another.

And that is where this Gospel meets our lives.

Because while none of us will be nailed to a cross, every one of us is invited — daily — to live the Lamb’s way of love.

3. The many “names” we carry — and the sacrifices that come with them

“Lamb of God” is just one of Jesus’ names, but doesn’t every one of us have names that carry sacrifice.

Some of those names are beautiful:
Mother. Father. Husband. Wife. Kuya. Friend. Caregiver. Teacher. Boss, Disciple.

Some of those names are heavy:
Widow. Single parent. Survivor. Patient. Caretaker of aging parents. Worker who holds two jobs. Parish volunteer who shows up when no one else does.

And each name carries a cross.
Each name asks us to give something of ourselves.
Each name calls us to give ourselves in love.

Last week, I served at the 8:30 Mass and the sacrifices of one group in particular caught my eye, parents in the cry rooms and the vestibule.

You know who you are.

You are the ones who spend the entire Mass pacing back and forth, bouncing a baby, chasing a toddler, whispering “shhh,” picking up Cheerios, rescuing a child from splashing their hands in the holy water font, and praying — not for world peace — but simply that your child won’t scream during the Consecration.

You are the ones who sometimes wonder:
“Why do I even come? I don’t hear the readings. I don’t catch the homily. I don’t get a moment to pray. I’m not getting anything out of this.”

Let me say something clearly, from the heart of the Church:

You are living the sacrifice of the Lamb.
You are offering your body, your time, your energy, your peace of mind — for love.
And God sees it.
God delights in it.
God receives it as worship.

You may feel like you are missing Mass.
But you are living Mass.

Because Mass is not about what we get.
Mass is about what we offer.

And you, dear parents, are offering everything.

The Lamb of God teaches us that sacrifice is holy — even when it feels small

We often imagine holiness as something dramatic — the martyrdoms of the early Church, the heroic acts of the saints.

But most holiness is hidden.
Most holiness is quiet.
Most holiness looks like ordinary love lived with extraordinary faithfulness.

Jesus did not save the world by preaching the Sermon on the Mount.
He saved the world by giving Himself — body and blood, soul and divinity — on the Cross.

And so the sacrifices that look most like Jesus are not always the glamorous ones.
They are the ones that cost us something.

The parent who misses every homily for five years.

The spouse who forgives again.

The adult child who visits a parent with dementia even after they have forgotten their name.

The worker who stays honest in a dishonest environment.

The parishioner who serves quietly without applause.

These are lamb-like sacrifices.
These are Christ-shaped offerings.
These are the places where the Lamb of God is being formed in us.

The Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world — but He also takes away the lie that sacrifice is meaningless

We live in a culture that avoids sacrifice.
A culture that says:
“Do what makes you happy.”
“Protect your comfort.”
“Don’t let anyone inconvenience you.”

But the Gospel says something radically different:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

And how did He love us, How did the Lamb of God love us?
By giving Himself completely.

So when you give yourself — even in small ways — you are participating in the very love that saves the world.

Your sacrifices matter.

Your sacrifices are seen.
Your sacrifices are holy.

The Lamb of God does not erase sacrifice.
He transforms it.
He fills it with meaning.
He makes it redemptive.

 

What does sacrifice look like for us today?

Let me offer three invitations.

A. See your sacrifices through the eyes of God

Don’t measure your holiness by how peaceful your prayer time is.
Measure it by how much love you pour into the people God has entrusted to you.

If your prayer is interrupted by a child, that interruption is your prayer.

If your Mass is spent in the vestibule, that vestibule is your altar.

If your life feels poured out, remember:
So was His.

B. See the sacrifices of others with compassion

When you see a parent struggling with a child at Mass, don’t roll your eyes.
Don’t judge.
Don’t sigh.

Smile.
Encourage.
Offer help.
Make room.

Because that parent is living the Gospel more deeply than they know.

C. Let the Lamb of God shape your own heart

Ask yourself:
Where is God inviting me to give myself more fully?
Where is He calling me to be gentler, more patient, more forgiving?
Where is He asking me to love in a way that costs me something?

Holiness is not about doing more.
It is about loving more.

So, behold the Lamb — and become like Him

When John the Baptist says, “Behold the Lamb of God,” he is not just pointing to Jesus.
He is pointing to the way of life that Jesus reveals.

A life of self-giving love.
A life of sacrifice that is not empty, but fruitful.
A life that transforms the world not through power, but through tenderness.

So today, as we come to the altar, we echo John’s words:

“Behold the Lamb of God.”

But we also hear Jesus whisper back to us:

“Behold the love I have for you.
Behold the sacrifice I make for you.
And now — go and do likewise.”

May every parent in the cry room, every caregiver, every quiet servant, every weary disciple know this truth:

Your sacrifices are not unnoticed.
They are not wasted.
They are not small.
They are the very love of Christ alive in the world.

Amen.

 

 Homily - Saturday - Day 6 Simbung Gabi Novena

December 20, 2025 - Many Roles, One Plan

Luke 1:26-38 (Readings) "May it be done to me according to your word.”

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

Homily on Luke 1:26-38: Many Roles, One Divine Plan

We find ourselves 2/3 into the Simbang Gabi Novena, having journeyed through the stories of those who played a part in the birth of Jesus. Each day, we have met a new character—John the Baptist, the chief priests and elders, the two sons in Jesus’ parable, the ancestors in Jesus’ genealogy, Joseph, Zechariah and Elizabeth, and today, Mary herself.

What stands out is how different each person’s role was. Some were faithful from the start, others doubted, some were outsiders, and some were called to do the impossible. Yet, God used each one, with their strengths and weaknesses, to bring about the greatest story ever told.

Let’s reflect on a few of these characters:

• John the Baptist was the forerunner, preparing the way for Jesus, calling people to repentance. His role was to point beyond himself to the One who was to come.
• The chief priests and elders questioned Jesus’ authority. Their skepticism reminds us that not everyone will understand or accept God’s plan right away.
• The two sons in the parable represent those who say yes but do not act, and those who struggle but ultimately do God’s will. God values our actions, not just our words.
• The genealogy of Jesus is filled with imperfect people—sinners, outsiders, and the unexpected. God’s plan is not limited by our past or our status.
• Joseph was called to trust in a message that defied logic and social norms. He listened, obeyed, and protected Mary and Jesus.
• Zechariah and Elizabeth experienced disappointment and disgrace, yet God’s timing brought them joy and purpose. Even in silence, Zechariah’s faith grew.
• Mary, in today’s Gospel, is visited by the angel Gabriel. She is troubled, she questions, but ultimately she says yes—her “fiat” is a model of trust and surrender.

What do these stories teach us?

God’s will is accomplished not by perfect people, but by willing people. Each character had a unique role, and none of them saw the whole picture. They had to trust, to act, to wait, to hope. Some were called to speak, others to listen. Some to lead, others to support. Some to bear suffering, others to bring joy.

And so it is with us. In our families, our workplaces, our communities, and our Church, God calls each of us to a role. It may not be the role we expected or wanted. It may be hidden or public, easy or difficult. But it is essential.

How do we discover our role?

• By listening, as Mary did, for God’s voice in prayer and Scripture.
• By being open to God’s surprises, as Joseph was.
• By persevering in faith, like Zechariah and Elizabeth.
• By acting with humility and courage, like John the Baptist.

And when we doubt or feel unworthy?

Remember the genealogy of Jesus—God’s plan includes the unlikely and the imperfect. What matters is not our ability, but our availability. God’s grace does the rest.

As we continue this Simbang Gabi, let us ask:

• What is God inviting me to say yes to?
• Where is God asking me to trust, to act, to wait, or to hope?
• How can I support others in their roles, as Mary visited Elizabeth to share her joy and encouragement?

Let us pray for the courage to say, with Mary, “Let it be done to me according to your word.” May we each play our part in God’s unfolding story, knowing that together, with all our different roles, we help bring Christ into the world.

 

Homily - Sunday May 3, 2020 Follow His Voice

Homily - Sunday 

May 3, 2020 

Follow His Voice

John 10 1-10 (Readings) "I did not come to abolish the law"

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

(Recorded for online Mass during pandemic restrictions) 

Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Easter.  It is also our seventh Sunday since the pandemic restrictions forced us to stop attending Mass at Church. I know it is a little late in the game, but I encourage as you experience Mass at home, to participate in the Mass as if you were in church: prepare yourself, change out of your sweatpants or pajamas, take a shower, fast for an hour before hand, put away the snacks and drinks, and participate fully, kneel, stand, and sit as if you were in a pew at church. I also encourage you invite your family to attend Mass together, even in this virtual manner that we find ourselves celebrating in.

The past several weeks have given many of us great opportunity to spend time together with and to reunite with our families, some of you have struggled with new math and involving yourself more in your child’s education than ever before. Some of you have used your time to catch up on all of the shows you have been wanting to get current on. Others of you have gone the extra mile, and caught up on all of those shows and even more that you didn’t even know existed prior to the pandemic. We have added to our vocabulary many words and phrases, Covid-19, corona, aerosol and droplets, stimulus, shelter-in-place, social distancing and flattening the curve. Some of you have gotten quite adept at working from home, mastering Zoom, and other remote meeting solutions.

But for some, these last few weeks have been a struggle. Many of our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents have sat alone at home or in care facilities in retreat from a virus that likely would take advantage of their vulnerabilities if they are exposed, and so they remain isolated, waiting to be reunited with friends and family when the risk is lowered.  Some have lost loved ones, and not been able to mourn in the usual way. Others have fought for their life in a battle with the Corona Virus, while yet others are seeing the end of their savings as the financial impacts of being out of work runs its course.

It has been a great test of our society. It has provided a great opportunity to revisit the things that are important to us. Suddenly, the celebrities, actors, influencers, and sports stars are no longer the essential things in our lives. Suddenly our family, our friends, and neighbors have become a lifeline, as things like toilet paper take the top of the list of things that are important.  For others perhaps their next meal.

I encourage those of you that have escaped the bulk of the impact of the last few weeks to reach out to your parents, your siblings, your cousins, your neighbors, long time friends, and co-workers and make sure they are doing ok, and help them however it is possible. Those of you that can, continue to help, volunteer at the food pantries, donate blood, run those sewing machines making masks for those that need them. Please don’t come out of this without taking advantage of the rare opportunities to learn something new, build something long in the making, or mend something long in need of repair. Continue to practice patience with those around you, continue to pray to God as he offers you hope during this time of what for many is darkness, despair, and stress.

Don’t let distractions be like thieves that jump over the wall, stealing this valuable time we have with each other. Focus on the gate, on God, focus on faith, hope, and love, give focus to those things essential: friends, family, and faith. Let us remain vigilant of those things that steal from us, and look for those things that feed us. And most of all let us not lose focus on Jesus as he calls our name so that we may follow him more closely.

Homily - Sunday February 16, 2020 The Spirit of the Law

Homily - Sunday 

February 16, 2020 

The Spirit of the Law

Matthew 5:17-37 (Readings) "I did not come to abolish the law"

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

I was a bit of a smart Alek when I was a kid. I remember once I was in one of my smart-aleky moods, and was taking things quite literally. So as we sat at dinner and my sister asked to pass the butter, well, you probably guessed it, I passed the butter. As it went flying from my side of the table to hers it stopped abruptly as the butter collide with her glass of milk, and as the milk flew through the air onto my sister you can imagine she was not happy with me. I told her “You said PASS the butter”

Life before Jesus the rules were quite literal, You worship God, you don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, you keep holy the sabbath, you honor your parents, don’t kill anyone, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal and don’t bear false witness against others.

From these ten commandments from God, revealed to our ancestors by Moses, most of the laws of their day were created. As time went on the laws and how to live by them got more and more specific, and more and numerous and complicated.

They got to the point that in Luke’s Gospel we hear of Jesus having dinner with the Pharisees, and asking them if it is lawful to heal the man with dropsy on the Sabbath and not getting a reply, Jesus proceed to heal the man and send him on his way, Jesus then responds of which of you having an ox that fell into a ditch wouldn’t pull him out on the Sabbath. Matthew 12 and Mark 2 have similar stories of the disciples walking through the grain, and ate some of the grains, and when they were accused of working, and Jesus rebuked the accusers with the story of how David went into the temple and fed the bread offering to his companions.

These are just two examples of how the law in the day’s of Jesus was held to such high regard as to defy the spirit of the law.

When Jesus came for us, he went one step further, he raised the bar on following the laws. He teaches  us in today’s Gospel that we have to be as righteous as the pharisees and the scribes.  But then he turns that on it’s head… he doesn’t say you have to follow those laws, PLUS you also this and this and this, laying down more laws… no… he doesn’t add anymore laws at all, but instead tells us that we have to follow the spirit of the law…

The law was you shall not kill, But Jesus says you shouldn’t even be angry with brother.

The law says Don’t commit adultery, but Jesus makes it clear that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

And when the law said Do not take false oath, but make the Lord all that you vow, Jesus said do not save your honesty for when you make a vow, but let your no mean no and your yes mean yes.

We have had a lot of funerals recently, and over the years, having heard many eulogies at the funeral vigils, I have heard about the good side of many of our parishioners that have gone before us. Many were loving, good mothers and fathers, great examples to their children, some were good cooks, quite a few lived joyfully, many had a great sense of humor, some were strong, some comforting, caring and generous, and still many also lived their lives faithfully. But the one word that I love to hear in a eulogy about someone, is that they had great character, that they had integrity. Integrity to me is that one word that sums up so many of the positive qualities of living that Jesus calls us to. A person of integrity can be trusted, and is someone that we can call upon in our time of need. No one gets up at eulogy and says of the dead, he was good at following the rules, he obeyed every law… it just isn’t that likely to be true first, but also we would know that while most of us try to obey the laws, there are times that require us to set aside the law, and follow the spirit of the law. If for example your wife is pregnant and you are speeding on the freeway in order to get her to the hospital it could be considered OK to speed, or if your lost in the woods in the middle of the winter and come across a cabin and break in to it seeking shelter, it could be considered OK that you broke in. There are extraordinary times in our lives when the rules need to be broken, but they are the extraordinary, the outside of the ordinary moments when the rules don’t need to be followed.

But today’s Gospel isn’t so much saying forget about the laws, but elevate them. Live your life not meeting the minimum requirements of the rules and laws, but live your lives mimicking the example of Christ in all you do. Love your neighbor and love God with your every action, and even with your thoughts. When a need is seen in front of you act on it. When someone is in pain comfort them. When someone is hungry feed them. When someone is lonely visit them. When see a need fill it.

There is a great show on Facebook, starring Mike Rowe formerly of Dirty Jobs, it is called Returning the Favor. They go around the US looking for “Better than average do-gooders, doing good things for others”, and then they reward them. The people they find are the masters of filling a need, the man that builds free beds for kids that don’t have a bed of their own. The woman that makes hot meals for first responders stuck on scene, serving those in need at forest fires, house fires, and other catastrophes. The mechanic that fixes cars for free for those that can’t afford to fix their car but also, can’t afford to be without that car. The people that have created retreats for our veterans so that they can have a place to visit as a family that is friendly to their wheelchair. Or the lady that collects bras to give to woman that need a little support. Or the woman right here in Chula Vista that has a little room in the back of her hair salon where she outfits women fighting cancer with free wigs.

They don’t do it because the law says they have to, they do it out of kindness, they do it because they want to live their lives to the fullest, helping others along the way. They do it in the spirit of the law of loving your neighbor and loving God.

Homily Sunday May 19, 2019 "Love One Another" - Love Anyway

Homily - Sunday 

May 19, 2019 

Love Anyway

John 13:31-33A, 34-35 (Readings) "Love One Another"

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

This week I read a story online about people sharing their most intimate moment with a stranger. ( Link to story )

There was story of a Houston Kinkos employee that helped an elderly women scan and post a photo of her missing son online in the wake of Katrina. Two months later, that same woman came back into the store and introduced her son to the clerk, they had a good hug and cry.

Another man described being next to a middle aged woman on a flight who appeared quite scared, he reached over and held her hand during takeoff and landing, and during the slight turbulence that they experienced during the flight.

Another woman walked into a women’s restroom to find an elderly man apologizing for his presence as he helped his disabled wife into a stall, the man accepted the woman’s offer to help and being a mother,  things of this nature no longer phased her. She helped the woman, cleaned her up, and called the man back into the room. She mentioned how much the love of that couple was now a goal in her life.

The last one I will share was a young man that saw a girl at the bus stop being harassed by a man being less than a gentleman. The helpful young man approached the girl as if they were old friends, and she caught on right away and played along. They walked away from the hassling guy, but he lingered. They continued to share a wonderful conversation together as they kept moving away from the man, and once the bus arrived, they said good-bye as she got on, and the pestering man wondered off.

I mention these stories today, because they are all small acts of love. All, small acts of love, that most of us here could have done at some point in our lives, had we been put in the right place at the right time.

In today’s Gospel we hear Jesus give a new commandment… “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus had just demonstrated how to humble one’s self and serve others as he washed the disciple’s feet just moments before this new commandment was issued. He had also just made the others aware that there was one among them that did not have love on his heart and was about to betray Jesus.

So I imagine the point Jesus was making would be fairly clear: You can humble yourself and serve others like Jesus did when washing the Apostle’s feet, or fall victim to the lies of Satan, and turn your back on Jesus like Judas would do.

Jesus spoke about, and also DID many more acts of love that we can use as examples: The two men that carried the paralyzed man through the roof top, bringing him before Jesus to heal him, showing us that we can love by brining people to Jesus. The parable of the Good Samaritan, taught us to not only help others, but to go the extra mile. The woman at the well who had many husbands, felt the love of Christ. The wedding couple at Cana who were spared the embarrassment of running out of wine for their guest, got to not only see Jesus’ loving compassion, but his first miracle, and the parable of the prodigal son, taught us not only that God will welcome us back into his loving embrace, but that we can welcome those who have wandered away from us back into our lives.

Are we willing to live this commandment to its fullest, to love one another? Are we willing to offer love to strangers we don’t even know? Are we willing to go the extra mile, and clean the bottom of a disabled woman we’ve never met? Or simply comfort a stranger next to us by holding hands?

Offering Love is often sacrificial, we have to give of ourselves, our time, our treasure, or even utilize our talent, but often what stands in our way is pride, fear, doubt, and laziness. Too proud to humble ourselves in front of our friends, family, and co-workers, love anyway. Fearful that we will be made fun of, or that our offer to help will be rejected, love anyway. Doubt, that we can make a difference, love anyway. Laziness, sometimes love takes effort, love anyway.

We don’t need to be nailed on a cross, to love like Jesus loved, we don’t even have to be able to miraculously heal people, multiply loaves, or make water into wine. We simply need to make ourselves present to others. The stories I mentioned were all “The most intimate encounter they have had with a stranger.” And there were many more in that article. I encourage each of you to seek opportunities where someone might write a post about an encounter where you were a stranger that offered love, a moment when you dropped what you were in the middle of and acted on a perceived need. Not because it will pay well, not because it will make you feel good, but simply because Jesus tells us: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”

Homily Sunday May 12, 2019 Mom's are Good Shepherds Too

Homily - Sunday 

May 12, 2019 

Mom's are Good Shepherds Too

John 10:27-30 (Readings) "My Sheep Hear My Voice.".

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

Today is good shepherd Sunday. The Good Shepherd is one of the earliest images of Christ, Jesus, there with the lamb over his shoulders and a shepherd’s hook in his hand.  It symbolizes the care that God has for us, that when things are difficult we have a God willing to help. That when we are unable to carry ourselves, we have a God willing to load us on to his shoulders and carry us. When we are down he lifts us up.

But also it paints a picture of us, that we are sheep, that we are part of a flock, a flock that is led by a shepherd. A shepherd that ultimately wants the best for us. A flock that if it follows the shepherd’s direction will come to realize its’ best life.

I grew up in a house of 6 kids, a small flock if you will, a very traditional household, where Mom stayed at home, and Dad went off and  worked a 9-5 Monday through Friday. Most of the day-to-day raising of us children was led by my Mom, what meals we ate, what clothes we wore, our schedule for the day, and the household rules, and of course the discipline, were all mandated by my mom. When we needed to go grocery shopping, Mom would often take us along. And as you could imagine with six of us, one or two of the flock would get distracted by the cereal aisle, or be drawn to the toy section, or one of us  inadvertently mistake a jacket similar to my mothers and followed after it thinking it was Mom. And When that happened Mom would often call out for us, and we knew right away it was her. We knew her voice apart all the other moms out there, you could say we know the voice of our shepherd. It was the same voice we heard when she called us for dinner each night, it was the same voice she guided us through our homework with, it was the same voice she scolded us with when we broke the rules. It was the same voice she comforted us with.

I would like to say that mom knew our voice equally well, but unfortunately I don’t know if she did; we were all taught that if we got lost, and called out “Mom” a couple times and got no response, the next call would be “Alice!” that always got my mom’s attention, because she knew it wasn’t the pestering  use of “Mom” asking her to get the box of sugary cereal she had already said no to ten times, or one of us fighting for her attention to ask for our favorite soda, calling by her first name meant we were in trouble.

 I imagine a shepherd, as he wanders through the countryside guiding his flock through the green pastures gets to know his sheep as well as his sheep get to know him. It is a relationship built by spending time together, a trust built as the shepherd continues to guide them from one meal to the next, as the shepherd protects them from predators, and as the sheep’s cries for help are heard and answered.

God is indeed a good shepherd. He knows us, but how are we doing on our end of things? Are we hearing his voice? Do we listen for God’s voice in prayer? Do we listen for His voice in scripture?

If it’s a been a while since you sat with the scripture outside of Mass, or if you have never done it at all, I challenge you to go home this week, find a Bible, dust it off, find a quiet corner in your home, turn off your cel phone, and then flip towards the back of the bible and find one of the Gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke, or John, and pick a paragraph or two to read. Imagine yourself in that scripture, imagine you are one of the characters, imagine yourself there with Jesus. Then give your self a few moments to reflect, listening for the voice of God in that silence.

If your prayer life is weak I encourage you to come on Friday during adoration, or visit one of the parishes with perpetual 24 hour adoration, like the small chapel next to the parish office at Precious Blood, it’s just on Fourth Ave near Palomar in Chula Vista. Sit in front of Jesus and pray for him to speak to you… and listen.

But with today being Mother’s day, I also encourage you to go home, for those of you whose Mom’s are still with us, listen to her voice… visit her, call her, talk to her… if you have never asked her about her story I encourage you to get to know your Mom better today. For those of you who are mothers I encourage you to speak to your flock, share the stories of your childhood, what it was like for you, let you children, and grandchildren if you are so blessed, know how it was for you “back in the day” Share the lessons you’ve learned,  the friend’s you’ve made, and the love you’ve witnessed.

Let us all remember the many times that out Mother’s have lifted us, and carried us during our times of need. The ways the they led us to make our lives better, the ways they showed us their love. But let us remember also our God who is our Good Shepherd.

Homily Sunday November 18, 2018 Seasons

Homily - Sunday 

November 18, 2018 

Seasons

Mark 13:24-32  (Readings) The return of Jesus.

Deacon David Lewis

Saint Charles Catholic Church, Imperial Beach / San Diego, CA

For years I tried to time my visits back home to New York to be during the summer, with dreams of fishing and camping, and picnicking in the warm NY summer air. Unfortunately, it always seemed that there was a need to schedule the visit to the colder months of the year. I went home for Christmas when my Mom’s health took a turn nearly a decade ago and we thought we were going to lose her, she came around and ended up doing much better. But I remember that it snowed and we had a picturesque white Christmas that year.  I returned again a couple of years later for my nephew’s wedding, it was on the day after Christmas, and it snowed that year too. Again, a couple of years later I was encouraged to come home for a family reunion to surprise my parents for Thanksgiving… and it snowed then too, it was looking like it was going to snow every time I went home to New York but a few years ago I was finally able to make it out for a late summer visit and spend some time fishing with my little brother and Dad, and spend time camping with my mom playing her favorite game: Rummicube, just like we did as kids, Finally this time it didn’t snow. The following summer Dad’s cancer came back and I was able to go home and see him one last time while he was still semi-active, while he wasn’t anywhere near 100%, at least it didn’t snow. This spring, in the end of April we returned for his funeral, and guess what… it snowed in April too, Thanksgiving and Christmas, snow is expected, but Easter too?!?! It seemed the curse was back… when Dave visits Rochester, expect snow.

For those of you that have never left San Diego, elsewhere there is a phenomenon known as seasons, where summer turns to autumn and the leaves change color and fall to the ground, this is followed by a season that is colder yet, where this white stuff called snow, falls out of the sky, in seemingly never ending amounts, and then just when you think you can’t handle the cold, and the snow anymore, the sun once again makes a visit through the clouds, and spring begins, and eventually summer returns.

Just as most of the world goes through seasons every year, so does the Church. As we celebrate Thanksgiving and the rest of the country is experiencing the beginning of winter, the Church will be getting ready for the coming of Christ, at least the anniversary of the coming of Christ as baby Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas. The new liturgical year in the Church will be coming soon, at the beginning of Advent, to prepare for that coming of Christ. But today’s Gospel speaks of another coming of Christ when he returns again. One that we don’t prepare for with Advent, but we prepare for every day of our lives, for we do not know the hour of His return.

Daily we struggle with the choices not only between obvious right and wrong, the black and white choices, but with the many grey ones as well. We make choices between two things both that have goodness, sometimes these are easy unnoticed choices, other times they are life changing difficult decisions. This process of decision making requires we have a fully formed conscience, our moral character, that our decisions are shaped by what pleases God, not by what is most pleasing to our senses, or what makes it easiest for us. Sometime these decisions are tough, and require much thought and prayer.

But ultimately it is our decision to love God by doing what we discern God loves, or wants, by doing what we believe will best please God. If we try to live our life pleasing God when he comes to judge the living and the dead, he will look favorably on us.

All of us will undoubtedly make bad decisions, sometimes we will make decisions not based on our love for God, but on other temptations, and for those decisions, we need to repent, and ask God for his forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we are restored to God’s favor.

It is how we prepare ourselves for the coming Christ and our final judgement. Because unlike the seasons of the year, that come with a cycle, and some reasonable expectation of when they will occur, we do not know when Christ will come again.

But that is not the only way we prepare for the coming of the Lord. We also want the Lord to recognize us when he comes, to know us. If we never make him present in our lives, if we never pray, if we never make Christ visible to others how will he recognize us?

Thanksgiving is a time of year that serves to give us an opportunity to reflect on the many graces we have been given. A time to thank God for the roof over our head, the food on our table, the family and friends that have gathered with us. It can also be a good time to recognize the abundance of graces God has given us: whether you won the Billion dollar Powerball, or you realize that you have more clothes than you can wear, or more food than you need, or a walk-in closet large enough to house a family… Thanksgiving can be a time to re-examine our needs, and share our surplus. Especially our surplus of Love which is giving by God at no cost to us so that we may pass that love on to others, especially those most in need. In the seasons of our lives we should aim to be the bringer of warmth and sunshine, not the cold and darkness. We should be the bringer of Christ into the lives of those that surround us.

You will be happy to know that my most recent trip to New York this last September, was again without snow, yes I am not always the bringer of the snow. Be thankful for our San Diego weather, but realize that with the struggles of those cold winters, comes the beauty of a forest of fall leaves changing colors, and the picturesque scene of a white Christmas, and the bountiful beauty of spring blossoms. So also be thankful for the struggles in your life, as they can be the source of their own unique beauty.