Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for coming out on such a cold, miserable day. At least we can be thankful that we have snow for Christmas this year, it just makes it feel like Christmas, but I would have been okay with less cold and wind, that’s for sure.
Well, not to be a buzzkill, but I just dont think I can avoid talking about this, you may have heard that I lost my mom (Charlotte) a week ago.
It was unexpected and terrible, but at the same time it was beautiful and blessed because I arrived in time to anoint her, and I was with her when she died.
She had been exhausted for a few weeks, ever since Thanksgiving, with a lot of anxiety and I got to spend some time with her praying, as did my dad, Dad really much more than me.
In our house when someone gets sick, we pray just like it says to do in Sirach 38. God gives us doctors, medicine and prayer for our healing and one of the things that came up in prayer regarding her anxiety was about Christmas.
While my mom liked buying stuff for Christmas, it was all about the joy it brought everyone else. She loved finding that great gift for her kids and grandkids especially, you could see the joy on her face when she saw our joy in receiving.
Do we ever stop to think about why we give gifts? Gifts are given this time of year as part of that overflowing of our love and gratitude for God’s greatest gift: Jesus entering our world to be God-with-us.
So while she bought lots of gifts out of that overflowing of love, she actually didn’t like it much, I’ve known this for awhile, but it came up in prayer recently, she said, “I just want Christmas to be about Jesus.” I just want Christmas to be about Jesus. Amen, Mom, amen.
Often we make it about so many different things, but the pinnacle is this Mass focused on celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, it is literally in the name of the Holiday, Christ-mas. It's just two words put together, Christ and Mass.
So that is why it is so good you were able to make it here; celebrating the birth of Christ, Christ’s Mass, without going to Mass just doesn't make any logical sense.
Speaking of celebrating Mass, my mom loved it when I celebrated Mass with her. I celebrated my mom’s funeral Mass, I was going to say my last Mass with her, but that’s not true, we believe that all of the Angels and Saints join us at every Mass which is super comforting if you think of it, this is where we are in communion with them.
After mom’s funeral mass, many people told me how impressed they were that I was able to get through it without breaking down. It makes sense that I held it together, it was really pretty easy for me because my mom was just so faithful.
She loved Jesus, she went to Mass nearly every day, she had a servant’s heart and shared the love of Jesus with others, in a really tangible way, like she would tell people about God, she would preach His love with her life and her words. (One of our readings from Isaiah (52:7-10) said, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news, announcing salvation, and saying to Zion, “Your God is King!”” This was what my mom did for me.) She was so joyful, so generous, so, so loving.
(She was merciful and always seeking peace and she was truly a sign of God’s unconditional love in my life, helping me to understand His love for me. We all need people in our lives who will help us to get to know God’s love.) Mom truly taught me what God’s unconditional love is like. My mom knew of His love, and she was so faithful, so I trust and believe if she isn’t in heaven already, she will be soon, and those are the easy funerals to celebrate. The hard funerals are for those who don’t have faith (those who don’t know Jesus).
At her funeral Mass my dad preached, my dad is a Deacon in case you didn’t know, and he kept going “off script” - he had me read his homily and critique it, so I knew when he would go off script and the Holy Spirit would give him the words. (Written out it was a ten minute homily but it turned into 33 minutes, the Holy Spirit had a lot to say!)
Near the end of his homily he said something that really stood out to me, he said, “So many people say they want to go to Heaven, but they don’t go to Mass? Why would they want to go to Heaven, this is what we do in Heaven is worship God!
If you aren’t going to Mass, I’ve got to challenge you. Or some say they want to go to Heaven but don’t read the bible, they don’t take the time to get to know Jesus!? Why would they want to go to Heaven, where they will be united with Jesus, like who would want to spend the rest of their life with someone they don’t even know? If you aren’t getting to know Jesus I have to challenge you there, I don’t believe you really want to go to Heaven to be with Jesus.”
And I was like “wow, I can’t believe he is saying this, it’s pretty strong and people might be offended” but it is so true, and people need to hear it. Heck, I needed to hear it! It rang so true to me. (In one of our readings (Isaiah 62:1-5) we heard “As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.” In Heaven we will be united to God in a love that we can only compare to marriage here, but it will be way better, and if we want to be in Heaven, we need to get to know our God here and now on earth.)
The Mass is as close as we get to heaven on earth. Heaven is gonna be like this amazing Christmas Mass times a billion. Incense & Singing Gloria to God in the Highest with the 9 Choirs of Angels, and Holy, Holy, Holy, and the Lamb of God, just all on steroids. I mean we’ve got a great choir and one of the best pipe organs in Dubuque, maybe the state, but none of it compares to what we will be experiencing there.
Because this is why Jesus was born, and why we celebrate today and every day, so that He could forgive us from our sins and bring us with Him to Heaven.
So it was easy to celebrate that funeral Mass for my mother because she spent so much time here on earth getting to know Jesus, reading her bible, going to Mass, receiving the Sacraments, she knew what she was in for in Heaven, and she couldn’t wait. I keep saying this because I know it is true, this will be her best Christmas ever!
It will be the hardest ever for us, but it will be okay, we will get through it by relying on our faith. A really close family friend of ours gave me a poem as I left the church on Wednesday to come back to Dubuque, and I’d just like to close with this poem that really captures this.
It is called “I'm Spending Christmas With Jesus Christ This Year” (which is perfect for my mom who just wanted Christmas to be about Jesus.) The author is unknown, but I think it is perfect for us today (especially for us who have lost a loved one):
I'm Spending Christmas With Jesus Christ This Year
Author Unknown
I see the countless Christmas trees, around the world below,
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars, reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away that tear,
For I am spending Christmas With Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs That people hold so dear,
But the sounds of music can't compare With the Christmas choir up here.
For I have no words to tell you; The joy their voices bring.
It is beyond description To hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me, but please remember, dear;
That I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I cannot tell you of the splendor, Of the peace inside this place.
Can you imagine Christmas with Our Savior, face to face?
I will ask Him to light your spirit, As I tell Him of your love.
So then pray for one another, As you lift your eyes above.
Please let your hearts be joyful, and let your spirit sing.
For I’m spending Christmas in Heaven
And I’m walking with the King!
Beautiful huh? My mom got her wish, and my heart breaks for myself and everyone who lost such an amazing woman from this world, but I am so happy for her, and I can’t wait to join her and Jesus in Heaven someday, if you never met her here, I’ll introduce her to you then, I’ll keep doing my best to introduce you to Jesus now.
In the meantime, if you aren’t going to mass every week, if you aren’t praying every day, in a spirit of love I’ve got to challenge you: Do you really want to spend Christmas in Heaven someday?