New Year's Day - Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God Fr. Anthony Le
How about all of us saying "happy new year". It's beautiful and unifies us. In the new year, we make resolutions. As a catholic priest, I heard quite a few funny ones. Someone would make a new year's resolution to say "From now on I'm not going to confess my husband's sin" That is a good one. We don't want to hear anybody else's sins in the confession.
People would say "from now on, I will no longer contribute one or two pennies in the collection basket". With inflation at 6.8 percent, it's time to change. Just like little kids would promise: "From now on, we're not going to pray rosary and fall asleep" Do you sleep while praying rosary? I do. There's a lot of new year resolutions that we could make fun of, and still feel happy about correcting and making those changes.Today is the first day of the new year. we're celebrating this magnificent solemnity 'Mary mother of God'
Why in the world would the church deliberately choose today to be the day to celebrate her beautiful vocation as mother of God? I believe it has to do with the three new things that our lord brought together with our blessed mother.
The first has to do with the new song - sing a new song to the lord. King David sings in psalm 98 - "Sing a new song to the lord, for he has done great things". Does it sound like the hymn that our blessed mother sings - "My soul proclaims the greatness of the lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior" A new song here is not just a newly composed song made by anybody. This is an unrehearsed song coming straight out of the heart and countering the coming of God in the original context of psalm 98. It has to do with the newness that God brings, with new life that God shares, with his creation, with new things, amazing things, that he continually does to his people. Amazing, beautiful, and freshness that he shares with his people. That's why king David and the rest of Israelite people wanted to sing this new song to him. Something beautiful he has done.
In exactly the same way, our blessed mother now with her consent to the invitation of God to be the mother, the vessel, a new era has entered into this old world. Where sin has already infected, when people long for the messiah, an old system of religious life may no longer be applicable, no longer saving the people. Our mother, my dear brothers and sister, with her yes, allowed you and I could sing a new song, allow you and I could look up to God and say, wow, what a new and amazing thing you have done beyond anything we could imagine. Precisely for this reason, perhaps the church asked us to celebrate together this amazing establishment, accomplishment, or whatever you call it. Our blessed mother has been the first one who truly sings this beautiful song "My soul proclaims the greatness of the lord; He has done great things for me" The second new thing that we have to talk about comes from the book of revelation. A lamb sitting on the throne declared to the entire universal world: "I will make all things new"
"I will make all things new". Isn't that what our lord Jesus constantly talks about? when he talks about the new wine and new wine skin, isn't he talking about the new kingdom of God the kingdom of God is at hand, isn't that he's talking about the new way of seeing, isn't that he talking about the new way of being together, new way of uniting together in the person of our lord Jesus, the new way of coming together, heaven and earth united in him, through him and with him. You and I, we have a newness of life, a newness of heaven and earth. "I renew all things" - The new heaven and the new earth.
How could that be possible? Well, the ancient world had long been looking for a messiah. They look for the sun, they look for the moon, they look for the political leaders, they look for anything and everything that couldn't find it. The religious teachers thought that by using the blood of the animal to satisfy the wrath of God from on high, or using the blood of the animal could wipe away the sins of the people. None of that actually does so. They fought back the same pattern of life. Miserable, so sorrowful, pitiful, freedom is not there yet. but yet with Christ himself, my goodness what a change. What a newness in the way that we worship God, we can call him now abba, father's direct connection with God the father through him. We could pray to our father; we could ask for forgiveness. Now, we can actually taste God himself - the body and blood of the lord being offered on the altar now. He could sacramentally connect you and I, all together spiritually as one in the same family. Thanks to faith that we share, thanks to the God that we have, and thanks to the Christ, our savior. That is new, that is awesome, and new and amazingly new. My brothers and sister are from the book of revelation.
Finally, it has to do with Saint Paul, and the way he looks at the moment when you and I. Perhaps thanks to our parents, or personally we say yes to, new creature. Thanks to the water baptism and the power of the holy spirit we become a new creature in Christ Nicodemus asked how that could be possible. I'm a grown man. How could I enter into a mother's womb again and therefore to be born anew. No, no, with Christ, everything will be renewed, with Christ and the water baptism, you and I are going to be made new again. If heaven and earth have already made new, if a new year of grace, God has earth into our world. Now you and I, we're going to be direct receivers of that amazingly new, new world that we receive - new creature, new creature, new real relationship absolutely.
if we take a look at what it is. Our blessed mother, as a human creature made by God now being elevated to the level of the mother of God. Who could believe such a thing? What dignity does she have? what an honor and that is precisely you and I going to be received
Whoever listens to the word of the father and does it. He's my brother and sister, whoever is being baptized in the blood of our lord in the holy spirit in the water of that holy baptism, we are now children of God, most high. We are now brothers and sisters. That's why we could talk our language, we could share our culture, but we could never really break away from the coming bond of love, faith, and hope that we share a common faith, that we truly have been passed along.
That's why we dare to say: here on this sacred land, 225 years ago established, the most beautiful magnificent gift for you and for me to belong to - saint joseph mission SanJose. That's the reason why we're going to celebrate with our native people, where all those who arrive a little bit later, and for those who come now at this very moment.
Let's be together, my brothers and sisters, once again on this very beautiful day celebrating these three new things: new world, new way God has shown himself, new heaven and a new earth and you and I were new. New, truly new creature in god, made anew by the water and blood of our lord, by the holy spirit. But the acceptance of our heavenly father and therefore we could look forward into this new year how could all of these new things that God have granted, truly translated in our life of our community, life of our faith family isn't that amazing to see if we could come more and more together, isn't that awesome to see a new church community being built, isn't that awesome to see what is ruined and falling apart could be renewed and made beautiful once again.
Let's look forward to this turn in 2022. my brothers and sisters, not so much about I’m not going to gossip, not just so much about I’m not going to sleep during the rosary, not so much about I’m not going to confess somebody else's sins. Let's talk about something far greater, and more beautiful, and more, more really life-saving, to our people. so, we ask our blessed mother, we ask our blessed mother to help us all. Truly to ask almighty god, her son to really shower us with grace. so that we work together, collaborate, and also do the mission of Christ together. let's make our mission, truly, a mission where the faith being shared, loved being embraced, and diversity cultural differences truly be honored. and respected. That's the reason why we have this beautiful kick off of 225-year anniversary, our mother of God, and a new year all together.
So, we pray for this beautiful community, and I pray for you, and please pray for God knowing my pace may not be your pace. I run quite fast. I know that I'm running fast. because I feel the urgency, the need, to really embrace this newness that Christ has offered. otherwise, we're going to gradually diminish, we're gradually disappearing. We have seen that in our diocese. more than 550,000 people went to mass in the last 20 years, but now we drop down to 110,000 people on every given Sunday. Our community suffers the same fate. So, if we don't embrace all these new things that the good lord offers, my brother and sister, we don't have much of a chance. allow the good lord to renew all things and that's a reason why I run fast. That's the reason why I wanted to do it together with you. that's the reason why we want to be coming back to what makes everything new - Christ himself and his mother and the faith of the church
天主之母节 - 新年快乐
让我们一起说一声“新年快乐”团结起来。在新的一年里，我们有新年新希望。作为一名天主教神父，我听了很多有趣的新愿望。有人会立下决心说：“从今以后我再也不会替我丈夫，去告解他的罪了。”这是一个很好的开始。我们不想在告解中听到别人的罪行。人们会说：“从今以后，我再也不会捐一两分钱在奉献篮里了。”现在通货膨胀率是 6.8%，应该是改变的时候了，..是的。有时候小孩子会说：“从现在开始，我再也不会在念玫瑰经时睡着了。”你念玫瑰经时会睡着吗？我有时候会。我们可以有不同的愿望，有些愿望还很可笑，但是当我们达成这些愿望时，仍然感到高兴。今天是新年的第一天。我们庆祝“圣母玛利亚天主之母”节。
为什么教会选择今天来庆祝天主之母──圣母玛利亚圣召的日子？我相信是我们的主和我们有福的母亲，一起带来的三件新事物有关。 第一个与新歌有关——向主唱一首新歌。达味王在圣咏 98首中唱 “要向天主唱新歌，因为祂行了大事”。这不是与圣母所唱的赞主曲—“我的灵魂颂扬上主，我的心灵欢悦于我的救主，天主”一样吗？这首新歌不是一首由人创作的新曲。这是一首直接发自内心与圣咏98原文相对应，来自天上的歌曲。它与天主带来的新事物，与天主分享的新生命，与祂的创造，令人惊奇的事物有关。天主不断地为祂的子民创新。祂与祂的子民分享的惊人和美丽的创新。这就是为什么达味王和以色列人向天主唱这首新歌。因为天主做了完美的事。 同样地，圣母玛利亚同意了天主的邀请，成为耶稣的母亲，圣洁的器皿，于是新时代进入了旧世界。在这个罪恶污染的旧世界，人们渴望救世主，旧的宗教体系已不再适用，再也不能拯救人民了。亲爱的兄弟姐妹，有了我们的母亲，圣母玛利亚的同意，你和我终于可以唱出一首新歌。让你我都可以仰望上主说：「上主，你所做的真是超出想像的新奇和美妙。」正是如此，教会要求我们一起来庆祝这个惊人的成就与恩宠。我们有福的母亲是第一个真正唱出这首美丽的歌曲“我的灵魂颂扬上主，全能者给我做了奇事”。 第二个新事物来自默示录。坐在宝座上的羔羊向宇宙宣告：“看，我已更新了一切。”看，我已更新了一切。这不是我们的耶稣经常谈论的吗？当他谈新酒和新皮囊，他谈天国？天主的国就在眼前，他谈新的观点，他谈新的相处方式，团结在主耶稣基督相处的新方式，以新的方式结合在一起，通过他，并与他一起。你和我，我们有了新生命，新天地，新天新地。
“看，我已更新了一切”，这怎么可能呢？犹太人渴望默西亚。人们寻找太阳，寻找月亮，寻找政治领袖，寻找任何找不到的东西。人们企图用动物的血来抵销天主对罪恶的惩罚，用动物的血来洗清自己的罪孽。但是没有一个人为的办法可以达到他们的目的。他们想要脱离可悲的生活模式。悲惨、悲哀、可怜，但是他们渴望的自由却没有来到。借着基督我们与天主的关系发生了全新的转变，我们现在可以称天主为阿爸，父亲。通过基督，我们可以直接向天主请求宽恕。现在，经由基督祭献在祭坛上的圣体、圣血，我们甚至可以品尝到天主。 。天主以圣事将你我联系在一起，在神魂上成为同一个家庭中的一员。感谢我们共享的信仰，感谢我们拥有的天主，感谢我们的救主基督。这都是新的，太棒了！是全新的，令人惊奇的新。兄弟姐妹们，这就是默示录所说的，“看，我已更新了一切。”
最后，也许要感谢我们的父母，或者感谢我们自己渴望成为一个全新的受造物。我们受洗了。借着水及圣神的洗礼使我们在基督内重生成为新造的人。尼苛德摩问：「这怎么可能？人已年老，怎样能重生呢？难道他还能再入母腹而重生吗？」不，不，有了基督，一切都会更新，有了基督和水的洗礼，你我都将重新焕然一新。如果天地已经更新了，在这新年的恩典中，天主已将地球带入了我们的世界。现在你和我，我们将成为这个新世界的接收者 - 借着他获得新生命和全新的关系。看看我们有福的母亲，他是天主创造的。现在被提升成为天主之母。谁能相信这样的事情呢？她现在是多么的尊严？多么荣幸，这正是你和我将要领受的。
那听了父亲的话而去做的，是我的兄弟姐妹。谁在基督的血，圣神的水里受洗的，他就是至高无上天主的儿女，我们的兄弟姐妹。这就是为什么我们有自己的语言，有自己的文化。但更重要的是我们接受同样的传承，有相同的信仰，在信、望、爱中合而为一。这就是为什么我们敢说：225年前，在这圣地上，由原住民和传教士建立的St. Joseph Mission San Jose 教堂，是我们领受到最美丽的礼物。这就是为什么今天，我们会同原住民、早期移民，以及新移民，共聚一堂来庆祝新年的原因。
亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，让我们用这三个新事物，来庆祝这么美好的日子。欢唱新歌，接受新天新地，成就新人。新的，真正的新人，由我们主耶稣的水，血，和圣神重生的灵魂。我们请求天父的接纳，使我们在这新的一年，借着天主所赐新事物，来圣化我们的生命，来圣化我们的家庭，来圣化我们的团体。 看我们能不能更紧密的结合在一起，这不是很神奇吗？看我们的教会不停的成长，建设，这不是很棒吗？看毁坏和分离的东西，可以更新，再次变得美丽，这是不是很棒吗？让我们一起期待 2022 这一年。兄弟姐妹们，与其说我不再传闲言闲语，不如说我不会在念玫瑰经的时候睡觉，与其说我不再为别人的罪办告解，让我们谈谈那更伟大、更美丽、更能真正拯救生命的事情。我们祈求真福的母亲，为我们祈求全能的天主和她的圣子耶稣，给我们更多的恩宠。使我们同心协力，共同完成基督的使命。让我们这个传教的团体，能真正成为一个共享信仰，互相关爱，能够包容、尊敬，文化差异的传教团体。
我们祈求庆祝225 周年纪念日有一个美丽的开始，庆祝天主之母，庆祝一个新的一年。让我们为这个美丽的堂区祈祷！我为你祈祷，也请你为我祈祷。我知道我的步伐和你们不一样。我跑得很快。我知道我跑得很快。因为我有一个迫切的需要，去拥抱基督恩赐的新事物。不这样做，我们将逐渐减少，我们将逐渐消失。我们的教区 20 年前每星期有超过 550,000 人参加弥撒，但现在减少到110,000 人。我们的堂区也遭受同样的命运。所以，如果我们不接受并利用上主提供的这些礼物，兄弟姐妹们，我们就没有多少机会了。配合主更新万物，这就是我跑得快的原因。这就是我想和你一起做的原因。我们要回归到这更新力量的源头：基督自己、祂的母亲和教会的信仰。