February 2, 2025 -- Presentation of Our Lord
Rev. Valerie de Cathelineau

Presentation of Our Lord (Year C)
Luke 2:22-41
St. John’s, West Seneca
February 2, 2025

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Christmas is over! Today’s Gospel is the final wrap-up of the season. While most of us finish with decorations around Epiphany, or January 6, technically, you can wait until February 2, the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord.

What is this “Presentation” all about? Under the Jewish laws concerning childbirth, a woman was considered unclean for forty days, and she would undergo purification rites. Along with that, there was a directive that the first born son was to be “presented” at the temple. And so, being obedient and pious Jews, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple.

Luke tells us that they brought along their sacrifice of two small birds. And then, we are told, something remarkable occurred. There are two elderly regulars at the temple, who had been waiting for this day. One is Simeon; the other is Anna.

Many years back, Simeon heard the voice of God, the Holy Spirit, speaking to him. “You will not taste death,” the Spirit told him, “until you have seen the Messiah with your own eyes.” And so, Simeon has waited patiently, trusting that God will point out the Messiah when the time comes.

And God does. He sees Mary and Joseph and the child. Led by the Spirit, one wonders if his heart pounded as he saw the child? Perhaps. He does speak some words of prophecy, words that we know well.

The words Simeon spoke are called the Nunc Dimitus.

Simeon’s first words are a prayer: Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word, and “my eyes have seen your salvation.” This is an amazing thing to say, to speak of salvation, and the implications of salvation. Israel has seen many religious figures: prophets, like Isaiah and Amos, priests like Eli and Nathan, and kings. But this child is different. This child is all three. And he will not only lead the people to salvation. This child is their salvation.

Next, Simeon goes on to say that God has done this “in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” Again, this is not a new idea or thought. Isaiah said much the same thing, centuries before, about the Messiah who is to come. Still, Simeon’s blunt language is startling as this is an infant who is going to change the world.

We know even less about Anna than we do about Simeon. All Luke tells us is that she’s a widow, and well up in her 80s. She comes to the temple each day to pray, and stays well into the night. On this day, she speaks. After years of fasting and praying, she praises God and all who look for the redemption of Israel. What she says is not recorded, but speak she did. Whatever she did say, Luke considered important enough to include her.

This text brings us back to the “light,” that Simeon speaks of. Jesus is the light of the world; we celebrated his birth forty days ago, as the light coming into the world. But now, during this season of Epiphany, this added emphasis reveals something new, another layer, if you will.

For the church, this day is also known as “Candlemas,” a designation from the fourth century. Rarely do we think of February 2 as anything but Groundhog Day.

Candlemas was a day set aside for the blessing of candles. The earliest reference comes from Jerusalem in the late 4th century, when a pilgrim named Etheria attended this celebration February 14, 40 days after Epiphany (then celebrated as Christ’s birthday). “It soon spread to other Eastern cities, and in 542 Justinian I decreed that its date should be moved back to February 2 (40 days after Christmas). By the middle of the 5th century the custom of observing the festival with lighted candles had been introduced, and the name Candlemas developed from this custom. In the Western church, Pope Sergius I (687–701) instituted the festival in Rome. In the East it is primarily a festival of Christ. In the West it was primarily a celebration of the Virgin Mary until the calendar reform of 1969.

Two other interesting tidbits highlight this day: First, in many Eastern European countries, the feast of the Presentation officially closes the celebration of Christmas. For this reason, Blessed John Paul II began the custom of keeping the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square until Feb. 2.

Second, Candlemas Day also was important in the lives of farmers. An old English song went as follows:

“If Candlemas be fair and bright, / Come, Winter, have another flight. / If Candlemas brings clouds and rain, / Go, Winter, and come not again.”

So if the bright sun “overshadows” the brightness of Candlemas Day, there will be more winter. However, "if the light of Candlemas Day radiates through the gloom and darkness of the day, the end of winter is near. In America, Protestants decided we should replace Catholic Candlemas Day with Groundhog Day.” Obviously, this came from a Catholic biased publication.

There are also interesting food traditions around this day as well, such as eating pancakes.

All historical trivia aside, this day is about the light of Christ, first seen by the shepherds in Bethlehem, now recognized by Simeon and Anna, a light for all, including the gentiles. These words of Simeon signal that the Messiah has come, but that it will not be all light and grace. The child will grow into a man, and Simeon’s words to Mary are a reminder to us that Jesus’ life will end in death, with a sword piercing Mary’s heart. Our walk with Jesus may also include darkness and fear, especially as we enter into Lent.  The exhortation of Ash Wednesday reminds us of our daily struggles and who we are to become as Christians.

“As disciples of the Lord Jesus we are called to struggle against everything that leads us away from love of God and neighbor. Repentance, fasting, prayer, and works of love—the discipline of Lent—help us to wage our spiritual warfare. I invite you, therefore, to commit yourselves to this struggle and confess your sins, asking our Father for strength to persevere in your Lenten discipline.”

So while the light to the nations revealed today is a celebration, it is tinged with a reminder of what is to come. More light, yes, but also shadow. As one woman writes:

“[W]e do the Light a disservice when we underestimate the darkness. Jesus entered a world plagued not only by the darkness of individual pain and sin, but also by the darkness of systemic oppression. Jesus' people, the Hebrews, were a subjugated people living as exiles in their own land; among other things, they were silenced, targets of police brutality and exploitatively taxed. They were a people so beaten down by society that only a remnant -- most notably Anna and Simeon -- continued to believe that the Messianic prophecies would one day come to pass. For many, the darkness of long-standing oppression had extinguished any hope for liberation.

"It was into this "worst world" that the Light-in-which-We-See-Light was born, liberating the people from the terror of darkness. So it is in the midst of our worst world that we, too, can most clearly see the Light, for light shines more brightly against a backdrop of true darkness."*

We do walk in the light with Jesus. But there are always shadows. We are to be the Simeons and Annas of our day, speaking boldly. As we continue in this season of Epiphany, we will see who Jesus is, and who we are becoming. My prayer is that we – as God’s people – will continue to be a light shining in the darkness. Amen.

                                                                                Soli Deo Gloria

*Advent/Night." Christena Cleveland, November 28, 2014

January 26, 2025 -- Epiphany 3
Rev. Valerie de Cathelineau

3 Epiphany (Year C)
Luke 4: 14-21
St. John’s, West Seneca
January 26, 2025

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.  Amen.

When the title for your weekly reading is entitled "Taco Tuesday and Sabbath Spirit," well, you have to read it. My reading includes a main reading, plus the two things I look for: Commentary on the Text, with good Greek exegesis, and illustrations. But also included are prayers, other liturgy, a quick look at the other readings for the week.

“Every day of the week has a particular spirit. A distinctive state of mind.

"Start with Fish Friday. This comes out of the Catholic tradition of avoiding meat on Fridays. For centuries, many Catholics have abstained from eating warm-blooded animals on that day, as a way of honoring the sacrifice of Jesus on Good Friday. No beef, pork, chicken or turkey — just fish…

"How about Sunday Roast? This British tradition revolves around a big meal including roast meat, vegetables and gravy.

"And then there is Meatless Monday, often associated with vegetarian or vegan meals. But what about Taco Tuesday?

"‘No one really knows who first came up with the idea of Taco Tuesday,’ writes Jeff Beer in Fast Company magazine (March/April 2024). It is not rooted in an ancient Christian tradition, nor is it connected to a modern desire to eat a vegan diet.

"After doing some digging, Beer found a newspaper ad from 1933. The White Star Cafeteria in El Paso, Texas, invited people to come to the restaurant on Tuesday and enjoy three ‘Mexican tacos’ for 15 cents.

"What a deal.

"Beer says that in the decades that followed, the term began to appear in ads from Wisconsin to Arizona. In 1973, a South Dakota drive-in ran an ad in the Rapid City Journal with the line, ‘Stop In on Taco Tuesday.’

"Suddenly, Tuesday was the day for tacos.”

There is more to the story, of course, with lawsuits involving Taco John’s and Taco Bell, but for this, that’s all you need to know. In other words, on to the serious part….Sabbath Sunday.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus starts his ministry on the Sabbath in Nazareth, his hometown. This passage ends Luke’s introduction, with the pre-birth and birth of Jesus, childhood stories, his baptism and epiphany and the temptations that He has gone through and won. He goes to the synagogue, picks up the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, and reads, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

He rolls up the scroll, gives it back to the attendant and sits down. Then he says to the people of the synagogue, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

For many of you, Taco Tuesday is a go-to dinner out, but the Sabbath is the day to hear the word, receive the Spirit, and then begin the real work of doing what God asks of us: bringing good news to the poor, release to the captivity of sin, recovery of sight to the blind and freedom to the oppressed. Today is the day to proclaim God’s favor to all who are in need.

Each of the gospel-writers describes the “good news” of Jesus in a particular way, and Luke does as well. He mentions women more than Matthew, Mark and John, and he has special concern for people on the margins of society, including the sick and the poor. Luke is the writer who speaks of God bringing down the powerful and lifting up the lowly, filling “the hungry with good things” and sending “the rich away empty.”  For Luke, our task is always to be directed to the poor, those on the margins, the vulnerable. That is Luke’s signature.

Luke places this announcement of Jesus at the beginning of his gospel, whereas Matthew and Mark place it later. At this point, he has been baptized by John, and the Holy Spirit has descended on him. He has taken on the devil and beaten him.  His ministry is just beginning, but he is clearly filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is saying that he is there to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. His mission is to free the oppressed and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. His ministry is one that reverses everybody’s expectations by focusing our attention to those who are usually overlooked: Women, the poor, captives, the blind and the oppressed.

And how do we do it? We do it by being God’s people, focusing, as Luke does, on the vulnerable, instead of material success, societal success, whatever we are using to fill that “God-shaped” hole that we all have.

So break it down: Jesus has been anointed to bring good news to the poor…release to the captives. The best example of that is Castro’s Cuba, as the state was officially an atheist one. Christian Faith cannot be destroyed, and because of economic distress, the Presbyterian Church began to grow.  

“We are helping give the message of hope, peace and reconciliation,” said Cuban church leaders. “The people are coming to the churches to find in the Bible, and particularly in the gospel of Jesus Christ, an answer to their deep spiritual and existential needs.”

Jesus also offers “recovery of sight to the blind” and works to “set free those who are oppressed.” We know from Luke that Jesus is a great healer. He goes directly from the synagogue in Nazareth to the town of Capernaum, where he cleanses a man with an unclean spirit, heals the mother-in-law of Simon Peter, cleanses a leper and heals a paralytic. Jesus wants to heal any physical or spiritual condition that prevents people from living a life fully of joy.

Christ’s work continues today whenever Christians practice medicine or provide counseling, and when people who struggle with addictions find recovery in 12-step groups.  Jesus wants to set us free from anything that oppresses us, and that includes addiction.

Finally, Jesus proclaims “the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus means for his kingdom to be here, in this moment. In other words, we don’t have to wait. God shows his favor…now. “Today this scripture has been fulfilled.”

The year of the Lord’s favor is nothing less than a sign of the kingdom of God. And we continue in that when:

  • We support those who have less, no matter the reason;
  • Those who may be homeless;
  • Those who are poor in spirit and health;
  • And anything that keeps others from enjoying that favor.

The best news is that it is not that difficult. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks writes: “The Sabbath is a focused, one-day-a-week antidote to the market mindset. It is dedicated to the things that have a value but not a price. It is the supremely nonmarket day. We can’t sell or buy. We can’t work or pay others to work for us. It’s a day when we celebrate relationships. Husbands sing a song of praise to their wives. Parents bless their children. We take time to have a meal together with family and friends. In the synagogue we renew our sense of community. People share their joys — a new child, a bar or bat mitzvah, an engagement, a forthcoming wedding — with others. The bereaved find comfort for their grief. We study the Bible together, reminding ourselves of the story of which we are a part. We pray together, thanking God for our blessings.”

That’s where we begin. How do we continue? Consider this example. One writer says:

“In our work, we are taking the bits and pieces of people’s shattered lives and opening ourselves up to God’s work of creating caring, discerning communities — just as happened after a hurricane hit a small town in South Louisiana.

"Walking around the area surveying the damage, it pained the pastor to see the houses torn apart and contents spilled on the ground in broken and tangled heaps. As he walked among the tree limbs, he saw in the dirt an image of a smiling face. Bending over to pick it up, he realized it was a wedding photo that the storm had ripped and discarded in the street. Someone, somewhere, was missing the photo. He wondered who it could be.

"So, he decided to open the basement of his church and allow the community to have a photo lost and found. He set up long tables and invited the whole town to bring in any pictures they had picked up out of the storm debris. People came with the bits of anonymous family histories: proud men standing in front of cherry-red Chevrolets, women posing in their Sunday best in front of bursting azalea bushes, anxious couples going to their high school dance, and small children playing on the park swings. Along with the crumpled bits of pictures, people began to pour into the fellowship hall, recognizing parts of their own lives and those of their neighbors.

"Years after the fact, people still talk about the church that opened its doors to all the torn bits of people’s lives.”

How about that? What if we were to reach out and invite others so they might have some spiritual home in the midst of chaos? Imagine all of us bringing our bits and pieces in, so that all could seek wholeness. That would truly be a Sabbath Sunday, every day. Amen.

                                                                                 Soli Deo Gloria

January 19, 2025 -- Epiphany 2
Rev. Valerie de Cathelineau

2 Epiphany (Year C)
John 2: 1-11
St. John’s, West Seneca
January 19, 2025

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Our Gospel text has me thinking about weddings. For most of us, that is an eventful day, and rarely does such a thing as running out of wine happen. Of course, there are many, many stories of weddings gone awry and so, I went to the archives of The Sun, a magazine I subscribe to, in search of first hand accounts of weddings. The Sun has a feature called READERS WRITE, where subscribers are invited to write on a certain topic. Weddings had indeed been one subject, back about twenty years ago. So I read through them. Most were pretty depressing, a few were just odd, and one or two were lovely. It seems that there is no such thing as a perfect day.

It is disappointing that there are so many issues around weddings. Until you realize that there is nothing new under the sun. Consider today’s Gospel from John, the well-known wedding at Cana where Jesus performs his first miracle, or, as John calls it, a sign.

You know the story. Jesus attends at wedding at Cana in Galilee as a guest, and we learn that the wine is running low. This is not a good thing. So Mary goes to Jesus, and makes a request. Jesus rebukes her, saying “his time has not yet come.” However, there just happen to be six empty jars used for purification and Mary simply says: Do what he asks. Jesus tells the servants to fill them, then draw some out and take it to the steward for tasting. The steward is amazed, as this is not only good wine; it’s the best. And his disciples believed in him due to this sign.

Two things stand out.

First, there is the wedding banquet itself. Then is the replenishing of the wine and what that means for us. And no, it doesn’t means that you should have a winery on speed dial.

All though the Gospels, we should be alert and realize that wherever and whenever there is food or a banquet and Jesus is present, something holy is going to happen. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus speaks of the banquet to describe that God reverses the social status quo, as well as the religious rules. Not only does Jesus speak of this, he lives this by eating with sinners and outcasts. In all four Gospels, he feeds thousands with a few loaves of bread, and fewer fish. And he changes the meaning of bread and wine entirely at the Last Supper.

So today we have a holiness alert. This is John’s way of telling us that from the beginning of his ministry, Jesus is the Son of God, and everything he does must be understood in relation to that, that God is in the world and is transforming it.

You may have noticed that the changing of water into wine is a sign. That’s what he calls it. John avoids the Greek word for “miracle” — even though that’s the word most of us would use in retelling this story. As for whether a miracle or a sign, we tend to look at this and wonder how, focused as we are with natural and scientific laws. In John’s time, it was taken for granted that such a thing could take place. That is where the belief came in and the transformation began.

We need to re-capture that. One preacher speaks of miracles and why we tend to miss them. “God reveals and conceals at the same time. The rabbis used to say, ‘If a miracle occurs, and there's only one way to explain it, then God had nothing to do with it.’ God does not usually act in obvious ways. If a heavenly voice speaks to one person, the next person will not hear it. If God does something really amazing, some may see it, others will not. What's required is faith – faith that leans forward to listen, faith that imagines this is what God is doing…”*

This is a sign, for us, this day, this time. No matter how you think of it, for John, the most important feature of the water turning to wine is the reality to which it points — the reality of God’s redeeming love, already at work in the person of Jesus Christ. The wedding at Cana is a glimpse into what is to come, a sneak preview, if you will, of the final victory over sin and death.

For the early church, that celebration found its focus in gathering around a meal, specifically, in the sacrament of the Lord’s supper. In other religions of the time in the Roman world, there would be the smell of sacrificial meat, words whispered of a revelation, maybe even a re-enactment of some the drama of the gods. The center of Christian worship is different. At the center is a feast of bread and wine. The earliest symbols of the church were the wheat and the grapes that make up the bread and wine. Not the cross. That is what we celebrate each week, this transformation that God began in Jesus and now continues in us.

While we are far away from this text, it speaks to us in a beautiful way about what it means to have Christ in the midst of us.  The gospel writers not only tell us of what Jesus did – once upon a time – but what Jesus continues to do for each of us.

Yes, Jesus, on one fine day did turn water into wine. How thankful those guests, especially Mary, must have been. A crisis had been averted and the celebration – which could last days – went on.

But the key to this miracle is not just to look at it as a one-time event, a spectacle, if you will, but as a continuous event.  Whenever Jesus enters into our lives, there comes a new quality which is like the turning of the water into wine.  Without Jesus, life is hard, often stale, like old bread; when Jesus enters into it, there is new life and celebration. The simplest molecule of H2O becomes the finest wine. A simple mixture of flour and water becomes bread.  Without Jesus, there is a lack of provisions, with Jesus, there is always enough.  With Jesus, there is a life filled with possibilities, and each day comes a new opportunity to be a part of God’s great plan.

This text is about our relationship with God. And if there is anything that we have to be grateful for, if we have any reason to count our blessings, it is because of what God offers us in the word and sacrament.  That great quantity of good wine represents the joy between Jesus and each one of us.

And yet, how many of us are willing to enter into this relationship fully and joyfully?   The truth is, we only want a relationship when it will work for us.  We want it when it is convenient for us, when there is a problem at hand. To be transformed by God is to be freed from sin, the old ways and the old evil, and the transformed Christian life is marked with love and service to the God who provides everything that we have.

And faith is key. As I said, the people of John’s time had no trouble seeing this sign and then believing. When I first began at Mercy Hospital twenty years ago, I was often taken aback at the odd things that happen around an imminent death, at the coincidences that pop up. Now, I expect these things. The more faith you have, the more you see. So, when someone comes to me and says: “Chaplain, the oddest thing happened…” I am not surprised. That’s the best part of the job, calling attention to what God is doing to get your attention.

Where is your relationship with God right now? Is God the divine Mr. Fixit, called on in an emergency or a 911 call?  Or is God so close that you can feel his presence and know that whatever happens, you are safe in his hands. God does not call us to a venture that He will not nurture.

The miracle of Cana is that God continues to keep giving and giving, even to sending his only Son.  The miracle of Cana is that God is constantly calling us into relationship, relationships that are unconditional.

When Jesus transformed the water into wine, he did far more than avert a social disaster.  Jesus replaced the old with the new, and it is a powerful reminder that Jesus changes all those with whom he has a relationship. All we have to do is lean in with faith.  Amen.

                                                                                Soli Deo Gloria

*Bill Carter, from a sermon on John 2:1-11: "Miracles -- and why we miss them," January 17, 2010.

January 12. 2025 -- Baptism of Our Lord
Rev. Valerie de Cathelineau

Baptism of Our Lord (Year C)
Luke
St. John’s, West Seneca
January 12, 2025

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Last Monday was Epiphany, a day set aside to celebrate the arrival of the Magi. Our Orthodox brothers and sisters celebrate this day as Christmas. The first Sunday after is Epiphany; it is what we are celebrating today: The Baptism of Our Lord. This season can vary greatly in length, and this year, we are blessed with eight Sundays, the last being the Transfiguration.

We have just come from Bethlehem. We jump years into the future and meet Jesus again as an adult, except for one text on February 2. He is baptized today by John and declared as God’s beloved son. Now week after week, what God is up to in Jesus, how God is with us and for us, with each week revealing more of who Jesus is and what He has come to do.

This season has its own character. We are not preparing for the birth of Jesus, as in Advent, or His birth, which we just celebrated. We are not walking with Jesus to Jerusalem, as in Lent. We are not yet filled with Easter joy or fear, nor have we just experienced the fire of the Holy Spirit.

This season is unique. It is not just a set of weeks to mark time between Christmas and Lent, but a time to discover what God is doing in Jesus, and to place yourself within these texts not only to see, but especially to hear the words that are being spoken, to experience the times when God does … whatever.

This will be a time of new understanding, an unveiling, each week bringing into focus those Bible stories that may have been forgotten. By hearing them again, we can experience them, understanding again that when the waters rise, God is with us and for us with His son Jesus.

  • We begin today with Jesus’s baptism, but not before John speaks of his greatness. In Isaiah, we see a God who accompanies us through thick and thin.
  • The next stop is a wedding, in Cana, where the wine is running low, never a good thing at a wedding.
  • Ezra will read from the Law, and the people will weep upon hearing it. Jesus will read from the Torah, and many will be amazed at this man from Nazareth.
  • We will see an Advent text from Malachi. And hear the story of Simeon on the day we call the Presentation of Our Lord.
  • There will be the great and awesome calling of Isaiah, with the thresholds trembling, and a live coal brought to Isaiah’s lips. “Here I am, Lord…” In a simpler setting, Jesus will call his disciples to fish for people.
  • And, on the plain, Jesus speaks not only of God’s blessings, but also ”woes.” So different from Matthew’s version.
  • We will learn of forgiveness, going back to the beginning, when Joseph forgives his brothers. Jesus tells us to love our enemies.
  • Moses returns from the mountain a changed man. And then, Jesus will be transfigured on a mountain, changed before his disciples, and Moses will be there as well, along with Elijah.

These are the Biblical stories that change lives. And so, on that note, let me ask this: How many of us make New Year’s resolutions? Most of us. Here’s a new idea.

This past week I shared a Facebook post: THIS YEAR I WANT TO BE MORE LIKE JESUS.

There are six ways to do this.

  • Hang out with sinners.

That’s not difficult. We are all sinners, if we take just a minute to think on that. Each of us falls short of the glory of God. Confront it daily. I like the Confession from the LBW: ”we confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves… See, hanging out with sinners is pretty easy. Oh, as Luther said: “Simul iustus et peccator,” "simultaneously justified and sinful".

Upset religious people

That’s not difficult either. All you have to do is remind them of the Beatitudes, or the Great Commandment to love God first; then love one another as you have been loved. Too often, we get caught up in the minutae, finding errors everywhere, and forgetting that there is more to being a Christian than being “religious.” As Garrison Keillor once said: You can stand in your garage all day and say you’re a car. Doesn’t make you one.

Tell stories that make people think.

Jesus was the true master of this. He used familiar images and settings so that his listeners could understand. The Gospel writers took those stories down.

So, this year, listen with new, fresh ears and pass those stories on. No need to lecture, just share.

Choose unpopular friends

Jesus’s friends were not the most educated, the most wealthy, the most worldly. They were men with average jobs, like Peter and Andrew, James and John, who were fisherman. Matthew was a tax collector. His women friends may have had unsavory reputations.

Who are your friends? I imagine some of mine might surprise you: I have friends of African ancestry, friends who are Asian, some are Jewish, Catholic friends, Protestants friends of all stripes, a few agnostics, some wealthy, some poor. I have gay friends, married friends, single friends, divorced friends. No doubt some of mine might upset you. I’m just following Jesus’s example.

Be kind, loving and merciful

How does the old song go? They will know we are Christians by our love. And it has always been so. The first Christians modeled that. As for mercy, we are to try and emulate that.

For example, making the rounds on Facebook is: "grace is receiving something you don't deserve, while mercy is not receiving something you do deserve." That is certainly true of Jesus. And remember, “Grace is proactive: It's an act of kindness given freely, even when not earned. Mercy is reactive: It's the choice to withhold punishment or show compassion "To extend grace to someone is to show them compassion even when they have wronged you." "God's grace is abundant, and His mercy is everlasting."

Take naps on boats.

That’s easier said than done. But, Jesus could relax anywhere, and he was unafraid to take time for himself, frequently going off to pray alone.

They say most resolutions are forgotten and/or abandoned by the end of January. So many times, these resolutions are often not practical and we want instant success. By making the resolution to be more like Jesus, everyone wins. You win by acting out your faith, and those you meet, friends and strangers, will see what following Jesus is all about.

I have read that now, more people identify as “nones,” meaning no religion, than ever before. I see that weekly. Only we can change that. And we begin by being more like Jesus. Amen.

                                                                                 Soli Deo Gloria

December 22, 2024 -- Advent 4
Rev. Valerie de Cathelineau

4 Advent (Year C)
Luke 1
St. John’s, West Seneca
December 22, 2024

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.  Amen.

At a seminary in Bangalore, a nun said: "Mother Teresa, you are spoiling the poor people by giving them things free. They are losing their human dignity."

To which Mother Theresa replied:" No one spoils as much as God himself. See the wonderful gifts he has given us freely. All of you here have no glasses, yet you all can see. If God were to take money for your sight, what would happen? Continually we are breathing and living on oxygen that we do not pay for. What would happen if God were to say, 'If you work four hours, you will get sunshine for two hours?' How many of us would survive then?"

And then she added: "There are many congregations that spoil the rich; it is good to have one congregation in the name of the poor, to spoil the poor."

There was profound silence; nobody said a word after that.

Today Mary will say that the poor are about to be spoiled. There she is, an ordinary young girl, chosen by God. God could have chosen anyone else, someone wealthy, of a higher place in society. But God chooses Mary to bring His son into the world, to usher in an upside-down order that lifts up the poor, saying they are “favored.”

You see, God’s idea of “favor” and our own are radically different. When we hear the word “favor” today, our minds leap to others things. Favor in finding the job we want, or the perfect house.

“Favor” here refers to God’s choice. The Greek word is a variation of the word for grace — and what about God’s grace has anything to do with what we do?

We are spoiled by God. This week we will celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, who came among us. He lived with us, taught us, healed us, and when we messed up, He forgave and continues to forgive. And then, he died for us so that we might have new life and have it abundantly. God spoils us with his continuous grace.

And how do we respond? Too often, by holding on to material things, to rationalizing why we have what we have, to making excuses.

This is not what you want to hear a few days before Christmas. But hear it we must because something new is coming into this world. The light, the Son of God.

There was a video YouTube, I think, that shows a man waking up and realizing all he has. He runs through his house, turning on a switch and yelling: "I have light." He turns on a faucet; "I have water." He looks out his window: "I have a car." And turning to his family: "I have a family!”

We forget what we have and how spoiled we are. Bishop Miller reminded us at Synod Assembly that living in the Great Lakes basin, water is an afterthought. One of the statistics about Lake Superior is that if it were to be drained, that water could cover all of North America and South America with one foot of water. No wonder we take it for granted. Not so for people in much of Africa, where they walk with pots to get water.

My dad used to say: We are a spoiled people. We have the benefit and good fortune to be born in a wealthy country at the right time in history. We have what we need. And it all comes from God.

The promise of Advent is found is the Magnificat, that He is merciful from generation to generation; that He does scatter the proud and lifts up the lowly; He fills us with good things…

The promise of Advent is that we are waiting for a birth that does change the world, that light replaces the darkness.

So, our task is simple. Be grateful. Be generous with what you have. Be cognizant of what you have and how you can take your blessing and be a blessing for the world.

I found this story many years ago and I review it each Christmas because it reminds me of how to give.

There was a boy named Tony who was born blind. “However, when he was about seven years old, his doctor read in the New England Journal of Medicine of a new surgical procedure that showed some promise for correcting his particular eye problem. A young surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston had developed it and so the local doctor and the surgeon began communicating. The boy’s full medical record was sent and, in time, a decision was made to try the surgery.

Tony, the boy, had a favorite teddy bear which he kept with him at all times. This teddy bear had begun to show signs of wear. One eye was missing; one ear was chewed off; and the stuffing was oozing out through several holes. Tony’s mother had offered to buy him a new bear, but he didn’t want a new one. So, the old one went with him to Boston and remained close through all the x-rays, tests and consultations. In fact, the boy and his teddy bear were not separated until the anesthesia was applied for the surgery itself.

When the surgery was completed, Tony was heavily bandaged and had to remain still for a number of days. But each day the surgeon was in and out of the room to encourage him.

Finally the day came for removing the bandages. For the first time in seven years Tony could see. Though his vision was blurred at first, it gradually clarified and for the first time Tony could look into the faces of his parents.

Before long it was time for Tony to be discharged and to go home. On that final morning, the surgeon signed the necessary discharge papers and he gave Tony a big hug and said, ‘Listen, I own stock in you. I expect to get letters from you regularly. Do you understand?’

Then Tony did something totally unexpected. He said to his surgeon friend, ‘I want you to have this,’ and he handed him his teddy bear. The surgeon’s first impulse was to say, 'Oh no, I can’t take that.' But something stopped him. With a flash of sensitive genius, the surgeon understood what Tony was trying to do. He wanted to give his dear surgeon-friend the most precious gift at his disposal, so full was his heart with love. The wise surgeon accepted the teddy bear with a hug and a thank you, assuring Tony that he would take mighty good care of his friend.

For over 10 years that teddy bear sat in a glass case on the 10th floor of Massachusetts General Hospital — one eye missing, one ear half chewed off, and stuffing oozing out of several holes. In front of the teddy bear was the surgeon’s card and just beneath his name he had written this caption: ‘This is the highest fee I have ever received for professional services rendered.’ A little boy had given the most precious item he had, out of a love-filled heart.

This is a parable of Christmas, which arrives in a few short days. “Two thousand years ago our gracious God, with a heart filled with love, looked out upon a sin-marred, tear-stained world. Had you and I been in charge we might have destroyed the whole mess and started over. But God’s great heart was too full of love to allow that. So he gave us the most precious gift at his disposal; he gave himself.” That is what we are to remember, that God spoils us with his love and grace.  Amen.

                                                                                Soli Deo Gloria

December 15, 2024 -- Advent 3
Rev. Valerie de Cathelineau

3 Advent (Year C)
Luke
St. John’s, West Seneca
December 15, 2024

Grace to you and Peace from God our Father and the LORD Jesus Christ.  Amen.

In Advent, one thing is assured. No matter how we view this season, with our concentration on Sunday School programs, dinner plans, gift giving, there is one person who stands in the midst of all our plans and demands an accounting. And that is John the Baptist: who is not exactly a soft and gentle presence in these weeks before Christmas.

But there he is, and his presence and his voice have authority. In today’s Gospel, he has only just begun his calling and he jumps right in. John is not a man who wastes time. He gets to the heart of the matter, calling out those who need a change of life.  And he’s not above name calling either…

The two groups of “vipers” were tax collectors and soldiers. Here, these two approach John asking for specifics on how to straighten out their lives and bear fruit. The answers both groups receive are economic in nature — to collect only what is owed (no bonus for the tax collector) and to resist the temptation to add to a military wage by shaking down the populace. Again, there is nothing particularly surprising or self-sacrificing about what John recommends.

At the heart of this, John stands preaching at the Jordan reminding us to give, that God can do anything and that he is himself a lowly servant, pointing the way to the One.

It is all about giving. For the religious, faithful law keepers of his time, giving up entitlement, no more simply claiming Abraham as a descendant. For others, give generously. For still others, be fair. But how to do it?

“In verse 10, the crowds wonder how they should respond to John’s prophetic condemnations. He tells them to love their neighbors. Give them your coat, your food.

"He calls them to ordinary acts of grace.

"In verse 12, “even” the deplored tax collectors come and ask the same question. What should we do? We might expect John to instruct these servants of Roman power to get new jobs helping those in need, to stop serving their imperial masters and instead love the neighbors they previously had taken advantage of. No, instead, John calls them to be good tax collectors, to collect only that which is required of them.

"He calls them to ordinary acts of grace.

"In verse 14, soldiers ask the same question. What should we do? We might expect John to instruct these soldiers to lay aside their instruments of violence and embrace a way of peace. Instead, John tells them not to use their position of power to steal life or livelihood from anyone. Be good soldiers, he demands of them.

"He calls them to ordinary acts of grace. …”  It is the same for us.

What should we do?

What should we do when there are refugees who come from a war zone?

What should we do when we have lost confidence in those who are supposed to be trustworthy?

What should we do about guns?

What should we do about poverty?

What should we do?

And the questions just go on.

This is why we need John the Baptist right now. Yes, his words are powerful, even threatening. But it gets our attention, doesn’t it? After all, he is pointing to Jesus, who has the winnowing fork is in his hand.

Advent is a time to get ready for the birth of Jesus and to prepare for his coming again. John would probably have some harsh words for us, but then he, John, would turn and call us to ordinary acts of grace. “He might call us to give what we have. He might call us to stay at our jobs and do them well. He might call us to the radical idea that seemingly ordinary lives can be imbued with the extraordinary spirit of God to transform the world. …

"We should seek that ordinary transformation that no one else may notice but will change us and the world more than we can imagine.”

I have often thought of Advent as a time to “wake up.” Wake up, because John the Baptist has a simple message for us.  "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Wake up, because these words are good words, and so they are what we need. Can we wake up and become a hope-filled people ready to do ordinary acts of grace? proclaim Jesus as Savior?  Can we wake up and see a different world, a world where all have what they need, where wars are fewer? Can we wake up and see something that needs tweaking in ourselves?

We can wake up because God is about to do something that is the great mystery.  Because Jesus entered into human life as a baby, lived a human life as a human, and died a sacrificial death on the cross as our Lord and Savior, we can be awakened from our doldrums and embrace a message of salvation that has been accomplished.  What we can wake up to is new life, new hope, a new love.

That's why Advent is a season of preparation, the season of waking up. Christmas is not just the celebration of the birth of a child; it is the beginning of a chain of events that transforms the creation.  Christmas is not just recognizing God's gift of the Incarnation -- it is also our acknowledgment of what this Incarnation  means for every one of us. Wake up.

”Max Lucado tells the story of a man who had been a closet slob most of his life. He just couldn't comprehend the logic of neatness. Why make up a bed if you're going to sleep in it again tonight? Why put the lid on the toothpaste tube if you're going to take it off again in the morning? The man admitted to being compulsive about being messy.

"Then he got married. His wife was patient. She said she didn't mind his habits ... if he didn't mind sleeping on the couch. Since he did mind, he began to change. He said he enrolled in a 12-step program for slobs. A physical therapist helped him rediscover the muscles used for hanging up shirts and placing toilet paper on the holder. His nose was reintroduced to the smell of Pine Sol. By the time his in-laws arrived for a visit, he was a new man.

"But then came the moment of truth. His wife went out of town for a week. At first he reverted to the old man. He figured he could be a slob for six days and clean on the seventh. But something strange happened. He could no longer relax with dirty dishes in the sink or towels flung around the bathroom or clothes on the floor or sheets piled up like a mountain on the bed.

"What happened? Simple. He had been exposed to a higher standard of living. That's what Jesus does.”

These weeks and shopping days before Christmas are not easy, and most of us would rather ignore John the Baptist. After all, he is a bit rough. But we must wake up. Because if we want to get to the joy of Bethlehem and be in God’s presence, we must get past John the Baptist in the desert.’” Because this is the good news, and a new day and life are coming.  Amen.

                                                                                Soli Deo Gloria