Announcing a New Year!

This weekend parts of the world are celebrating a new year. That’s because people around the earth celebrate March 25, the Annunciation of the Lord, as a new year of hope. Marking this day as the start of the new year began in 525 with the advent of Anno Domini (AD), because it was believed that a new time of grace began with the Incarnation of Christ at the Annunciation.

The Annunciation marks the day the archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would bear the Son of God. The Annunciation is the first Joyful Mystery of the Rosary, and it is from the Annunciation that we derive the Angelus prayer. The Solemnity of the Annunciation is so significant that it is always commemorated no matter where it falls during the week or the season. For example, if March 25 falls on a Sunday during Lent, the Annunciation is moved to and celebrated on the following Monday. And when the Mass is celebrated during the Lenten season, it always includes the Gloria, which is not normally sung or prayed during Lent, as an extra mark of festivity and joy.

March 25 typically occurs on or near the spring equinox, a time in the Northern Hemisphere when the light of springtime overcomes the darkness of winter, when dormant plants and trees begin to awaken to new life. The Annunciation is a powerful reminder that when life seems barren and dead, God bursts forth with light and new life.

This year the Annunciation falls in the middle of our Lenten journey. May we who are also called to bear the God of love hear anew the words first addressed to Mary: “The Lord is with you” …  “Do not be afraid” … “For nothing will be impossible for God.”

The Power of Water

When I was a child, I nearly drowned. I was playing in the Atlantic Ocean at Jones Beach, Long Island when I ventured a bit too far from shore. I was not a great swimmer and when I saw that big wave coming, I panicked. Seeing the fear on my face, my aunt Carolyn yelled, “Just let go and ride the wave.” I did and it carried me safely to shore. Water is powerful.

The power of water prompts surrender. I consider the glorious and breathtaking sights of nature, such as the Grand Canyon, that have been carved and molded by water and I marvel at the power of water to reshape and reform. Water changes things.

In Today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that he is the “Living water.” Allowing herself to surrender to this living water, the Samaritan woman is changed. In her encounter with Jesus, the woman’s story is rewritten. Freed from her past she can now live in newness and joy.

This Gospel, which appears in year A of our lectionary, is always proclaimed on the third Sunday in Lent when there is a Scrutiny Rite for our Elect. This reading is particularly appropriate for the Elect, who are preparing for baptism, and who, like the Samaritan woman, long to be changed by knowing Jesus.

Because we are currently in year A, all of us will hear this Gospel this weekend. May we who are already baptized be moved to surrender to a deeper encounter with Jesus. May we, like the Samaritan woman, allow Jesus to rewrite our story. In the trials and turmoil of life, may we trust the grace of our baptism to carry us safely to shore.

I Believe ...

During Lent we are encouraged to pray, fast and give alms. Reading the scriptures more frequently is one way to deepen our prayer life. Another way is to listen more closely to the prayers of the liturgy. Most of these prayers are based on scriptural passages.  Our entire liturgy is said to be the Bible set to ritual. Here are some Scriptural connections found in our Nicene Creed: 

I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth …

“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth … ” (Gen 1:1)

 … I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages …

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, …” (Jn 3:16)

… begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father …

“The Father and I are one.” (Jn 10:30)

…. and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man.

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

 (Lk 1:35)

… and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.  

“… He was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.” (1 Cor 15:4)

… He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead …

“… He is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.” (Acts 10:42)

… I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life … 

“Now the Lord is the Spirit ... ” (2 Cor 3:17)  “…but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Cor 3:6)

… I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins …

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins …” (Acts 2:38)

… and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. 

“I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” (Jn 11:24)

In the liturgy, we proclaim the Creed after the liturgy of the Word and before the liturgy of the Eucharist. This is because it sums up the faith we have heard in the scripture readings and reminds us that we are united in faith, in communion, before we partake in the meal. This week, we hand on the Creed to the Elect, those who will be baptized at Easter.  Let us pray, along with them, for the grace to live our faith more deeply.  

Spring Cleaning

Every year at this time my mother would rearrange the furniture in the living room and family room and change the drapes. Then she would open the cupboards and drawers in the kitchen, remove all the dishes, glasses, cups, goblets, plates, pitchers, platters, bowls, casseroles, china, and silverware to clean them. It was as if we were preparing for the biggest banquet of the year. She called this cleansing fury spring cleaning. 

Every year at this time the Church gives us the opportunity to do some inner spring cleaning. In fact, the word “Lent” is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word meaning spring. Lent is a prime time to rearrange our priorities, to open the cupboards of our hearts and hold our egos to the light to see those areas that need to be cleaned and polished. This idea of inner cleansing or conversion has always been at the heart of Lent. In the early Church, Lent was the final leg of the journey for the catechumens preparing for baptism. It was also a time when already-baptized penitents, isolated from the assembly because of their sins, would prepare to be reconciled to God and the community. The journeys of the catechumen and the penitent were related in that both embraced a significant conversion. As the catechumen looked forward to baptism, the penitent looked forward to reconciliation, often seen as a second baptism. To this day, the focus of Lent remains both baptismal and penitential.    

It is easy to rearrange chairs and to clean dishes. Inner change is the real challenge. Therein is the good news. It is God who calls us to conversion and it is God’s transforming grace that accompanies us on the journey of conversion. Let us pray for the courage to be open to this grace that we might come to Easter, the biggest banquet of the liturgical year, with hearts cleansed and spirits renewed!

Carnival

We are days away from Ash Wednesday and that means it is Carnival time! All over the world, people are donning beads and masks to celebrate Carnival with parties, parades and pageantry.

The other name for Carnival is Mardi Gras, French for “Fat Tuesday.” Mardi Gras, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, is the climax of Carnival. This day is also known as Shrove Tuesday. The word “Shrove” comes from an old English word that means to be absolved from sin. Celebrating Shrove Tuesday is one way people anticipate the penance and fasting of Lent by emptying out their refrigerators and pantries to make pancakes and other delights.

Anyone who has celebrated Carnival or Mardi Gras has likely donned a mask. Whether it covers just the eyes or the whole face, a mask adds a sense of mystery that can add an extra dose of fun to any Mardi Gras fete. Masks have been used in rituals by various societies and tribes for centuries. Masks were first worn during Mardi Gras because they allowed people to escape the judgments imposed on them by society. While wearing a mask, people were free to be whomever they wanted. They could go where they wanted and mingle with whomever they wanted, including the upper class.

Carnival is not the only time masks are worn. We regularly wear invisible masks, often for the same reason as the early revelers--to avoid the judgment of others, to escape pain, to belong. Lent is a season that empowers us to take off the masks we wear and to discover who we really are. Jesus showed us how to do this. During his 40-day sojourn in the desert, Jesus was tempted to put on the masks of superiority, power, and control. He chose instead to trust in God.

During Lent, we too are called to enter our own desert experience, to bare ourselves and to remove the masks that hide who we are. May we, like Jesus, choose instead to trust in God and discover in ourselves a reflection of God who loves us just as we are.