Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:10 Welcome back to another edition of our diocese podcast, big City Catholics, with Bishop Robert Brennan, the Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, and myself, father Christopher, hen you the rector of the co Cathedral of St. Joseph here in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. We are continuing our Christmas celebrations in this Christmas octave. We'll begin with our prayer. In the name of the Father, son, and Holy Spirit, amen. As we prepare for January 1st, the solemnity of the Mary, the mother of God. We bring our prayers, uniting them through her intercession as we pray. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is withy, blessed our thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of the Jesus.
Speaker 2 00:00:47 Only Mary, mother of God. Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:00:51 Amen. In the name of the Father, son, and Holy Spirit. Amen. Bishop, you know, it's interesting sometimes when we're having our podcast, you know, you'll hold your pectoral cross When you do that, it's for me, it's, it's like this kind of, from that cross, you gain this, the wisdom of the office. You know, <laugh>, today, you're holding, uh, your roses bees in your hands, and it's appropriate, I guess, as we are celebrating this Christmas octave, right? It's not over yet.
Speaker 2 00:01:18 That's right. That's right. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. We, you know, I know a lot of places already started taking down the Christmas decorations and all the Valentine's stuff is being displayed in the stores. It's over <laugh>, but it's not, it's not. We celebrate, first of all, we celebrate the octave of Christmas every day. It's like Christmas again, except that we have these feasts that get joined together with it. But every day is celebrated as a feast of the Lord. You know, if you go to weekday mass, you have the Gloria, it's a full-fledged celebration. It is in the church the whole week from Christmas until New Year's Day, eight days of celebration, just like we do at Easter. The same thing, the Octa of Vista Easter. There's an, and we celebrate those days with great solemnity, with great joy. And then even then, it's not over because then we go continue the Christmas season, which goes until the baptism of the Lord.
Speaker 2 00:02:15 Now, this year we had a nice long advent, but we have a short Christmas because next Sunday, the 8th of January is the Feast of the Epiphany, and that's about it, as late as it can get. And so the next day we celebrate on the ninth, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Ordinarily it would be the Sunday after. Yes. So we have a relatively shorter Christmas season coming up, but still we are in the midst of the Octa. We have another week of Christmas next week. Really? It ends with epiphany and baptism of the Lord. Now, I remember when I was a kid, my mother used to talk about little Christmas on January 6th. That's right. Yeah. And that would be the day that a lot of people would start taking their decorations down. Yes. Yeah. Here in the the US we've moved the epiphany to the Sunday, but we try to keep no, to hold on to those decorations for a little while. It's, even
Speaker 1 00:03:05 If it's, it's crazy, you know, it's, yeah. When you think about Advent, it's this period of waiting, but it's a penitent period. It's that period of waiting and, and you say, oh, waiting four full weeks this year. And think about like the lives of our pastors and those who are in parish pastoral ministry, and you say, we did all this preparation to get people prepared for Christmas, and we're not just gonna give up. Like, we're not just gonna end it the next day, December 26th, that's over. Well, you know, maybe the radio station stopped the playing of the news. Right.
Speaker 2 00:03:35 The news, the Christmas carols have been going since, uh, November <laugh> <laugh>, then they finish like at noon on Christmas
Speaker 1 00:03:42 Day. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. So it's great for us to keep that, that, to preserve that, that joy, that Christmas joy. Same thing as you said for Easter. That octave for Easter means a lot more. And, and to me personally. Yeah. Because you say, well, that's penitential season of Lent really is a penitent season. We're really giving something up or adding something. And, and you say, well, I really want to enjoy now this new life, this resurrected Christ. Right. You know, I love the octaves.
Speaker 2 00:04:08 I really do. Right. And Christmas octave is interesting because it gives us a sense of realism. Last week, I kind of poked fun at fa la la la la and you know, everything is, well, the fact of the matter is the Christmas season gets very realistic, very quickly. So the day after Christmas, December 26th, St. Stevens Day is the observance of a martyr. We're wearing red on the day after Christmas, not because of Christmas colors, but because of the blood of the martyrs. We, we are reminded that Jesus is coming, brought great joy and comfort to the world. But it also, Jesus came into the world with its problems, with its persecutions, with its trials. We celebrate the feast of the holy innocence. A a gruesome that's right. Feast, if you will. But a reminder that death and persecution and suffering are all part of the existence of this world. And this is the existence that Jesus came to share. But that these things are not the final answer. That his coming at Christmas means victory even over suffering, persecution and death.
Speaker 1 00:05:14 That's, uh, what a beautiful way to reflect on that, on, on the Christmas octave, you know, because during the, the Christmas season, and, you know, we didn't get a chance to talk about this last week, but we had that reconciliation Monday. Right. You know, as, as we, we talked about it two weeks ago in preparation for it. But what a blessing that is. And one thing, as a priest, as a confessor, you begin to realize is that we are all united in such pain at times. There's a pain in all of humankind. And that pain and that suffering can me take different forms and it can be a different description for each of us, but there's a lot of pain in the world. And people come then to that sacrament, not just Yeah. Certainly for the reconciliation and the forgiveness of their sins. But I think for that peace, you know, the prayer solution is God, heart, and in peace. And that peace comes to us, uh, at Christmas in the midst of our pain, in the midst of our suffering. Uh, it's so true. I I really appreciate that, that reflection, Bishop.
Speaker 2 00:06:15 Yes. And you know, a lot of that suffering and pain becomes a little more acute in these days for some people, as you know, if you're feeling lonely through the year, that loneliness becomes more acute at, at a time like this. Friends, if that's a situation you're in right now, I'm so sorry we're, we are united with you in prayer. But please take note of the, the message, the real, the true message of Christmas. Jesus, who is the light and the darkness. I love that reading. And P Francis used this reading when he came to the US and celebrated mass right here in New York City. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light from the prophecy of Isaiah. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> for those who live in darkness and the shadow of death, a light has arisen. A child is born for us. They call him Wonder Council. A mighty God, father forever prince of peace. And his dominion is vast. Uh, we know that more from the Messiah than we do from the Bible, I guess. But yeah, I,
Speaker 1 00:07:12 I sing it
Speaker 2 00:07:12 When I hear it <laugh>, but that's the real and true meaning of Christmas, that there's something deeper and there's that light. And we just pray and ask the Lord to let the light of his presence break through whatever the darkness is of this world. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:07:30 You know, as we approach New Year's Day, you know, for me, I, you and I were talking a little bit before the podcast. I, I don't know what, what, there's always this big rush to join gym memberships, uh, in the New Year. People who go to gyms hate the New year because they get filled with all these like three month kind of people who come for a few months. And then all these ideas of New Year's resolutions. And I think perhaps, and I don't know, we wanna talk kind of through this just for a minute, because I don't ever kind of consider a New Year's resolution. And I, I don't find that to be because I've failed on so many of them that I'm just not gonna start doing New Year's resolutions again cuz it's just a disappointment. I think though, that why New Year's resolutions, in my opinion are such a big deal, is because for a secular society, it's this idea of, well, this is my new start. But, you know, as, as a people of faith, we know that we can get, we get our new start anytime we want in the sacrament of reconciliation, in God's grace, in God's mercy. And with the help of that conversion of our hearts,
Speaker 2 00:08:34 You know, precisely there is something about newness. And that's all worked into our, um, our liturgical calendar too. And, and even our secular calendar. So, so New Year's Day, that clean slate, that brand new start mm-hmm. <affirmative> that always can lift our spirits. I'll often say this in the homily on New Year's Day, I love the reading, the gospel reading on New Year's Day. It's really, it's the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God, which is a theological concept that says more about Jesus. In, in the early Councils Council of Ephesus, the Council of Naci, the great breakthrough was Saint Athenasius. Mary is the mother, not just the mother of Jesus, Mary's the mother of God. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> the occus Jesus. It talks about Jesus truly human, truly divine. So we celebrate Mary, the mother of God. And it's the, uh, story of how after the birth of Jesus, after the adoration of the shepherds, everybody went back to their places and Jesus was circumcised, given the name Jesus. And Mary reflected on all these things in her heart. I always get a kick out of that line. We all can identify it by the time New Year's Day comes. We love to have everybody come, the shepherds, the Kings, all of that. But then everybody went home, <laugh>.
Speaker 2 00:09:43 It's nice that everybody goes home and that's what happens there. And, and Mary reflects on these things in her heart. So there's something too about the beginning of the year about being reflective. We do a lot of introspection during this week, during the Octa where we kind of review the year, you see in the news stories and all that. The year in review, year review, music and review. That's right. Everything like that. But then we, on New's Day, we look forward, we say it's a brand new beginning. We look ahead and that newness, I find that sense happening in September. I love the beginning of every academic or pastor earlier that Yeah. And in terms of resolutions, I find it more meaningful for me at Lent. Yeah. See, so purification. Yeah. And, and maybe a new beginning there to to, to get back to what really matters.
Speaker 2 00:10:26 Yeah. You know, new Year's Day is also a day of prayer. This goes back a few years. I think it was Pop Paul the sixth, you named it The Day of Prayer for World Peace. It's the day of prayer for peace. And bishops particularly are called to offer prayers for peace on that day. You know, this year that's really evermore poignant. Last year when we celebrated New Year's Day, there were hints and threats and fears about Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. They were rattling the cages, so to speak. Yeah. And now we've lived through nearly a year of horrible, horrendous war in Ukraine. A terrible, terrible suffering. I got a Christmas card this year from the Polish Benedictine sisters, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict. They have a house out in Huntington and they have a house in Chicago. But near note, they were talking about their sisters in Ukraine.
Speaker 2 00:11:18 Wow. They have many houses. Wow. And I remember visiting the sisters in Huntington and they had pictures of sisters in the shelters during the bombings at Kiev holding children. And uh, it was, it was just so moving. They're one of the groups that we were able to assist with our own relief collections. We are seeing terrible persecutions. We're seeing a lot of attacks on Christians, on Catholics. We see it China now with aggression toward Hong Kong. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. We saw the sufferings of Cardinal's end. That's right. We are seeing it in a lot of Latin America. Nicaragua, especially Niagua, Bishop Baez, he's going to be giving a retreat to the priest and hopefully visiting here in the next couple of weeks. He's living in Florida. He has an exile. Yeah. As an ex. He's in exile from his home country in, in Nicaragua because of the sufferings.
Speaker 2 00:12:08 Was he in unrest in Peru? Was seeing more aggressions in Cuba. The terrible poverty. We're seeing it in Venezuela. Many of the migrants who are coming here are just fleeing violence. And then Haiti, today on New Year's Day, I'll have, um, mass in St. Jerome's. It's Haitian Flag Day. Yes. And, uh, Dave of Independence. Independence. Yeah. We're just seeing terrible sufferings. I can tell you, and I'm not just drawing attention my way, but I can tell you personally of two friends, two individuals, but one of our priests and a friend from Long Beach who've had members of their own family kidnapped and held for ransom. Wow. This isn't
Speaker 1 00:12:45 In Haiti.
Speaker 2 00:12:46 In Haiti. Mm. Right now, the violence there is just unspeakable. So this year, on New Year's Day, our prayer for peace has a lot of meaning. Yeah. And a lot of needs. So we pray for peace and pray that 2023 will bring a restoration of peace and end to division and then to disrespect for other people that Christ the Prince of Peace, whose birth we celebrate the season, awaken the hearts and minds of people to the call to serve one another in joy and in peace.
Speaker 1 00:13:17 Well, we certainly will join you, bishop, on New Year's Day in a prayer for peace. And for peace in our, our world. Peace in our country, peace here in our diocese and, and in the hearts as we were mentioning. You know, just peace in the hearts of all of us. You know, that I think the Lord may, may restore that sense of peace in all our hearts. Bishop, I hope that you have a, a blessed New Year and a blessed 2023. You know, I guess part of that excitement of the new year is to be joy-filled, hopeful for what's to come. I'd love to pick your brain and, and maybe earlier in the new year, we can talk about what we may be doing in, in our diocese and well
Speaker 2 00:13:55 Big Year ahead is the Eucharistic Revival. And we're gonna talk a lot about that. So Yeah, that'd be great. Very exciting. So again, everybody, Merry Christmas. I don't tire her saying that. Merry Christmas, keep those decorations, keep that joy alive. The season goes until January 9th. And even after that I often put my stuff away, but I leave a nativity out until the
Speaker 1 00:14:14 Presentation. That's right. I do the same.
Speaker 2 00:14:16 Yeah. So please keep that joy going. All the blessings of Christ in this year to come, the Lord be
Speaker 1 00:14:22 With you and with your
Speaker 2 00:14:23 Spirit. May God who will that the great joy of his son's saving birth be announced to the shepherds by an angel. Fill your minds with the gladness he gives and make you heralds of his gospel. And may al Almighty God bless you, the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Amen.
Speaker 1 00:14:39 Merry Christmas to all. A blessed new year to all and thanks for joining us again. God bless.
