E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come!

Some more "great music" to kick off the Advent Season, from Paul Manz (1919-2009):

 

 

 

Immaculate Conception Novena - Christ the King Church, Springfield, IL (Nov 30 - Dec 8)

   Thanks to the many friends from near and far that came out to hear my talk at the Immaculate Conception Novena back on Saturday night at Christ the King Church in Springfield.  It was good to be back in Springfield.  As I said on Saturday night, it has become a very important event to get myself ready for Advent and Christmas to reflect deeply on some aspect of the Immaculate Conception, and to preach on that in this unique forum.  All the more, it is a joy... and in no small way, a relief... to return to Springfield to continue participating in this ministry.  The novena continues each night through December 8 with different speakers.  I have included a copy of the ad with this posting, listing the rest of the speakers.

   I'm really busy at the moment, but I will try to at least post some notes from my talk on the Annunciation, and Mary's response in faith.  This talk was a warm up to a larger project which I alluded to in my November 19 post.  My central thesis is that the initial response of Mary to the Annunciation (Luke 1:26ff, "How can this be, I do not know man?"), which for anyone else darkened by sin might have been a response of shame and distrust, was for her an opportunity to marvel in the glorious mystery of God fulfilling the promise of Eden... the promise which foretold that the "seed of the woman" would stomp the head of the serpent, while the serpent would only be able to strike at the heel.  The natural order and the rationality of it was to be superseded by a great intervention on part of God working through this simple peasant girl--a virgin.  Mary's response was so perfect and free, enabled by the special freedom she had been granted in being preemptively freed from the darkness of sin, that she alone, in faith, could invite the Word to truly (not just metaphorically) become flesh and dwell within her, and in doing so, dwell among us.  As we face the challenges of individual and institutional shame, arising from our (often-misguided) fears (one of the irascible passions) about the world which is in desperate need for the Good News of Christ, and as these fears block us from using the gifts of the Church to grow in holiness... the fear of going to Confession, of dealing with with 'irregular marriages', of including those on the fringes of the Church, of dealing with hot-button political issues like same-sex-marriage where enemies of the Church would rather shame the Church into silence... it is the inspiration of faith, exemplified by Mary and empowered by the Spirit, which drives us forward, confidently, into the "New Evangelization".

   The novena talks continue through Sunday night.  If you are in the Springfield area, I welcome you to attend; this is a wonderful way to enter into the Advent Season and to observe the beautiful mystery of our salvation played out in the faith and response of the Blessed Virgin Mary.