>>Advent is a time of salvation. Each year we’re called to be saved, have a new part of our heart redeemed, cured. And the way we are saved and cured fundamentally is by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To really get to know our Lord. To invite Him into our hearts. To talk to Him. To love Him as we would a spouse, a sibling, a best friend, whatever it might be.

In the gospel that we have this afternoon, or this morning I’m sorry, Jesus is- He’s in Jerusalem and He’s about to die and so we’re pretty much at the end of His story. And the pharisees and a bunch of people are asking Him questions about things that really aren’t that important. You know, when I’m married and if I’ve had several husbands or wives which one’s going to be my spouse in heaven. It’s like they’re distracted from Jesus himself.

And so, Jesus wants to get right back down to the essence of the faith, which again is Himself. He, Jesus Christ in the flesh is the most important thing in the world. And connecting to Jesus is what we should focus on.

And so, advent is that time to reconnect with our Lord and to throw away all the externals, all the things that distract us or pull us away from a relationship with God. Whether it’s in our spiritual lives or in our worldly lives. So, we need to be saved.

Now, one of the best ways to be saved by Jesus Christ– having a relationship to Him is private personal prayer each day and of course the sacraments and the Eucharist, the mass.

Now you see me holding this in my hand, alright, so this is a chalice. This is my own chalice. I want to just tell a little story about this to kind of demonstrate the power of a, a relationship with Christ and how He saves us.

So, most priests have their own chalice. And it’s a chalice that was given to them, typically by their parents and they celebrate their first mass with it and they often celebrate each mass with their own chalice.

Now, I had my chalice given to me by my parents– Don and Lorraine Wallace, who are still living. And I had it designed and the aspects of it are parts of my entire life and what I also see as kind of my desires as a priest or my vocation.

So, at the base of the chalice, if you can see it, is of course the crucifixion calvary. So, you’ve got Christ on the cross, you’ve got the two thieves on either side; the good thief and the bad thief. We all have good and bad within us. And of course, Mary and John at the foot of the cross. A relationship to the Blessed Mother is very important to me.

And then when I spin it around and on the back of the chalice– I remember one time seeing a chalice that had this city of Jerusalem on it. Christ died in Jerusalem and in Heaven is depicted at the new Jerusalem. Well, I thought okay Jerusalem is kind of cool, but my city is not Jerusalem it’s Chicago. So, on the base of it is the skyline of the city of Chicago. Okay.

Every time I celebrate mass I keep a lot of intentions in my heart, like my parents, my family, um, my parishioners, I also have the city of Chicago in my mind. And I almost imagine when I lift up the chalice that the precious blood of Christ overflowing the cup and pouring down, pouring over the whole city of Chicago. The way Chicago will be saved is by Jesus Christ, is by our faith. Right? Is by prayer and the Eucharist.

So then, on either side above the city of Chicago are two coats of arms. The coat of armor of the Archdiocese of Chicago, I’m a Chicago priest this is my presbyterate. And then, the coat of arms of the pontifical North American college in Rome, which is the seminary that I study at in Rome. So, two of my families if you will- Chicago and the seminary in Rome.

And then at the top of the chalice here, if you see, it’s an icon of faith, hope, and charity. The cross for faith, the heart for hope, I’m sorry the heart for charity, and the anchor for hope. Faith, hope, and charity is my home parish where I grew up in Winnetka, Illinois. It’s where I’m from. I went to grammar school at Faith-Hope. My family still goes there. It was part of my own formation, so I keep my childhood in mind also when I celebrate mass. So, I’ve got my childhood, I’ve got my priesthood, and the city of Chicago as well.

So the faith and my connection to Jesus Christ is what has saved me. And every time I celebrate the Eucharist I see it, not just saving me but saving these people that influenced me. And maybe you can do the same thing brothers and sisters; when you pray, when you receive communion, when you’re connected to Christ in sacraments know that He’s saving your own heart but He’s saving your city, He’s saving your family members, your friends, all those who have loved you and will continue to love you and be a part of your lives.

So, we need Jesus Christ in our lives. And let this first Sunday in Advent be our connection to the Lord.

Amen.