Today’s Thoughts: It is truly an unusual day. We celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent this morning and then by late afternoon today, Christmas Eve, we will begin the celebration of Christmas. It makes it difficult for parishes as we move so quickly from Advent to Christmas. Mass schedules are often changed a little to accommodate the two celebrations and a question that is often asked is – “Will this mass fulfil my obligation for Sunday and Christmas?” It is truly an unusual day!
So, with that thought I would like to begin my homily by talking about a television program that was on a few years ago and you can still catch it at times in reruns called Scorpion. You might say, I am sticking with the theme of unusual. The premise of the show was inspired by a true story about a man named Walter O’Brien. Mr. O’Brian has an IQ of 195. In the show he brings together a group of friends who are also brilliant, gifted like himself, and they work as a team helping Homeland Security. Each person on the team has a special gift. In the show they solve problems not by fighting or the use of guns but with their intelligence. However, this team of brilliant super intelligent people has one major flaw, they find it very difficult relating to ordinary people, people who are not as intelligent or gifted as themselves. So, they find a person named Paige who is not as intellectually brilliant or gifted as they are, you might say she is just ordinary, but she knows how to relate to people. Paige also has a gifted son, so the team promises to help Paige understand her son, if she helps the team to understand and relate to ordinary people. This might seem like an odd way to begin a homily, but my point is that our readings today and at this time of year remind us of the human element in the story of the Incarnation. Yes, the Incarnation, God becoming human is a mystery, it is the impossible becoming possible. Time and time again this Advent we have heard how with God nothing is impossible. However, Mary’s yes; Joseph’s yes, the stories of Elizabeth, David from our first reading and others along the way are important to us because they remind us of the need to have faith, trust and hope in the presence of God. Like the character of Paige, an ordinary heroine in the Scorpion the ordinary heroes and heroines of our faith story help us to understand God’s plan for us! Mary, Elizabeth, Joseph, Zachariah, David are not the powerful, the extraordinary intelligent, the profoundly gifted – they are ordinary….. Perhaps our challenge as we bring our Advent journey to a close and jump into the celebration of Christmas is to take a moment sometime this evening, tomorrow morning or early afternoon to acknowledge our ordinariness and yet know that we too can be God’s unexpected heroes and heroines who respond with a yes and bring God’s faith, hope, joy and love to a world that so desperately need it. Have a faith filled Sunday everyone and don’t forget it is Sunday in the morning and Christmas late in the afternoon, two different celebrations, two different obligations. So, don’t forget to give God a little extra love and time today and/or tomorrow!
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Fr. Paul R. Fagan, C.P. "Preacher on the Run"Just a few thoughts to help you on your journey through life...let me know from time to time what you think... Archives
April 2024
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